The Pulse!

It's Time To Put The Elementary Building Issue To Rest

2012-02-03T20:00:00.005-05:00

Pottstown Schools Superintendent Dr. Reed Lindley has endorsed an option that could end the 20 year old Elementary Schools issue.

First, a little background. The previous School Board voted to borrow more than $10 million to renovate all 5 schools with no operational savings. For the taxpayers, that means starting this year, Pottstown's beleaguered taxpayers will start paying an additional $220,000 a year towards the loan. That's in addition to the other increased costs such as pensions and health care.

In November, 4 new Directors were voted in. In addition to 2 incumbent Directors, 3 of the new Directors are not sold on the 5 school plan. The reason is the lack of operational savings. We all understand that the education of Pottstown's kids is the first priority, but at what cost? Should we bankrupt and drive out the taxpayers? Someone needs to balance the limitations of the taxpayers with the educational requirements.

The new School Board President, Judith Zahora, requested options from the architects to determine if there were options that would provide operational savings to offset the costs of borrowing $10 million+.

The options were presented this past Thursday night. I will summarize the options without going into too much detail. What is called Option 4B would close Rupert but keep the other 4 schools open. Additional classroom space would be constructed in the remaining schools. This option would save the taxpayers $437,000 a year in operational costs. That would more than offset the costs of the construction. As a matter of fact, the net result with this plan would be that instead of adding $220,000 a year to the tax burden we would actually subtract $172,000 a year from the tax burden. Option 5B is pretty much the same, except Edgewood would be closed instead of Rupert. The operational savings are the same, $437,000, but the savings on our tax bills would be less than Option 4B. We would save $130,000 a year rather than $172,000. Whats not to like about either of these plans?

Dr. Lindley, when asked by Board President Zahora what his opinion was, endorsed option 5B, closing Edgewood and keeping Rupert open.

It's time. Time to put the building BS behind us. The SB needs to choose Option 4B or 5B. Close the books. Sign the contracts. Start the project. This cannot drag on through another election cycle. For too long too much valuable time has been wasted deciding what to do. End the issue and get back to the business of educating the kids.

For those Directors who want to continue to obfuscate the issue with personal agendas such as race baiting or turning buildings into historic monuments, it's time to let it go and vote for Option 4b or 5B. There will be a group of parents from a closed school that will fight to keep their school open. They will probably show up and hurl invective's at the School Board, displaying just how much they don't care about the overall welfare of all the taxpayers in Pottstown. They are willing to pay more (and make everyone else pay more) to keep their school's open.

The School Board must take a strong stand and do what is right for the long term future of not only Pottstown's kids by getting on with education, but also the taxpayers, who are standing at the edge of the financial cliff.

We urge the School Board to unanimously choose either Option 4B or 5B.

PSD Director Ron Williams Owns His Opinions, Not The Facts

2012-01-30T12:43:00.006-05:00

At a recent meeting of the PSD Facilities Committee, School Board Director Ron Williams made the following statement that was published in the Mercury today, January 30th:

“I was even a member of Code Blue for a while until I realized there is no honesty in what they’re doing and that it is mostly vindictive and focused on one person; although, now I suppose it will be focused on me.”

Mr. Williams has never been a member of Code Blue and has never attended a Code Blue meeting or event. Mr. Williams also contends that Code Blue is not honest and that we are vindictive. If Mr. Williams is stretching the truth about his supposed Code Blue membership, isn't he the dishonest one? Mr. Williams must also be confusing Code Blue with a different website, one that focuses mostly on one individual. We have raised issues with just about every elected official in Pottstown, the Boro Manager, and even Montgomery County. Just look at our blog posts.

Understanding that Mr. Williams may have some confusion, I sent an email to him and asked him to publicly retract the disparaging untrue statements that he made at this meeting. I look forward to the response. If you would also like to email Mr. Williams, here is the address:

rwilliam@pottstownsd.org.

Architect's Numbers Show Closing Rupert To be The Best Option For The Taxpayers

2012-01-22T09:52:00.004-05:00

The numbers are in for all of the various options. One of these options seem to make the most sense to me economically. That would be the 4 school option, closing Rupert. Consider this:

1) The PSD has already borrowed and banked $10.7 million. We are paying $220,778 starting this year on this debt. This plan doesn't provide for any operational savings. It's just money flying out every taxpayers windows. Extra taxes on top of the already staggering tax load.

2) Of all of the newest list of options, the one that makes the most financial sense is the plan that adds a total of 15 classrooms in the other schools and closes Rupert. Here are the facts:
$220,778-Yearly payment on current $10.7 million we already borrowed.
$241,023-Additional payment on extra money borrowed.
--------
$461,801-Total Debt payments yearly
-$437,778-Operation savings from closing Rupert
--------
$ 24,023-Total new debt payments.
The tax burden for this cumbersome new debt (most of which the PSD has borrowed and banked already) would be reduced down to less than $25,000 per year for the beleaguered taxpayers.

Who can argue against that? Well for starters the few Rupert fanatics who don't care what it costs to keep this relic open, regardless of the cost. They are not looking out for the taxpayers, only their own backyards, and they want everyone else to pay for their crumbling white elephant on the hill. The few people who see Rupert as some kind of national monument that must be preserved at any cost also will fight this option. Mr. Hylton would be considered as one of the people who are OK with bankrupting the taxpayers to keep Rupert open.

Small groups of Rupert supporting fanatics aside, the PSD Directors must consider the long term financial impact on this community, which is on the edge of the cliff financially. Any other plan could sound the death knell of Pottstown. Large scale abandonment of this town by taxpayers pushed over the limit could occur. No one in their right mind would want to move here and pay the outrageous school district property taxes.

One final note. The Mercury Sound Off section has become the new bashing grounds for SB president Judy Zahora. The commenters keep suggesting that the voters of this town have already decided to keep the 5 schools open. Really? Has anyone looked at the results of this past election? The taxpayers in this town rejected 3 hand picked candidates who were Hylton 5 school lackeys, and elected 2 Code Blue members and a 3d candidate who is sympathetic to Code Blue. Together with 2 Directors still sitting on the SB who are not completely sold on the 5 school plan, there is a 5 Director majority on the SB who are open to what is best for the taxpayers, not just willing to blindly spend money with crushing debt consequences. Perhaps Mr. Hylton should have learned to play nice in the sandbox with others (working to build consensus and not just trying to conquer).

One thing that you can count on-the Code Blue members on the SB and the other Directors who may sympathize with Code Blue will consider what is best for all taxpayers for the long term, even if that long term vision keeps all 5 schools open. They will weigh all options carefully.

Contraction Is The Only Answer-Not More Tax Increases

2012-01-07T12:54:00.003-05:00

The PSD preliminary budget revealed this past Thursday night calls for a tax increase of 4.1%. And that is for a "bare bones" budget that keeps all 5 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 1 high school, 1 administration building and 1 administrative annex running for another year.

I am sure by now we all have seen that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is closing 24% of their high schools and 28% of their elementary schools. Now if the Archdiocese could just collect property taxes like the public schools they would just keep all the schools open and keep raising taxes. But they cannot. They have to live with a certain amount of money every year and make it work.

That's what Pottstown needs to do. Because in fact there is no more money available. The taxpayers in this town are drowning. I believe there is a fine line where residents say enough is enough. Where people will just stop paying the taxes. Or move out of town. Maybe abandon their houses since they can't sell them. Not with one of the highest tax burdens in the state. Who in their right mind would buy in Pottstown with this tax burden? If I was looking right now, I certainly wouldn't. A lot of people must be reaching the end here, I know I am. No matter what my financial troubles over the years, I have always payed my taxes. Always. Seemed like the right thing to do as a citizen. I have changed. Endless Boro Council's and School Boards with out of control spending addictions have pushed me to the limit. I am sure many folks in this town feel the same way. The School Board and Boro Council must stop bleeding the taxpayers or their won't be any to pay, they will just abandon their houses, stop paying their taxes and leave.

The Pottstown School Board must contract. Close 1 or 2 schools. Close the Admin and Annex building, move that function to the High School, and sell these buildings. I have said before, the PSD is not a jobs program. We are overstaffed. Cut out these extra jobs. Get back to the basics. The primary focus of the PSD should be to educate the kids, not have the best buildings or the most cradle to grave public service jobs.

We are on the brink. To quote Archbishop Chaput of the Archdiocese in his letter outlining the school closings, "We cannot sustain unsustainable schools."

"Termiting" The Newly Elected School Directors

2012-01-01T12:08:00.003-05:00

I use the term "termiting" to describe a person who is working to constantly undermine something. Like a termite hiding underneath the floor you are standing on just chewing away.

At the recent School Director election, Directors Kefer, Zahora, and Lydon were legitimately selected by the voters of Pottstown. These 3 candidates, along with current Directors Weand and Hartman are not completely sold on the idea of spending $20 million to renovate all 5 schools, with 3 times the amount of dollars being spent on Rupert than each of the other 4 schools.

It is perfectly understandable for the 3 new Directors to want to review all of the plans and, with the agreement of at least Director's Weand and Hartman, decide what is truly in the best long term interest of the students and taxpayers of this town, striking a balance between all stakeholders, and not just being totally focused on buildings.

At the re-organizational meeting I spoke as a resident for the need of all Directors to work together in unity to do whats best for the Pottstown School District, setting aside personal agendas that only consider buildings and ignoring the reason that the School District exists-the education of our children.

However there is one School Director that wears blinders that see only buildings, particularly Rupert. Most folks don't really understand the obsession with this mold infested, old outdated building with the leaky roof.

The "red shirts", a few people who live in the Rupert area, want that school open regardless of the cost to all the taxpayers of this town. This small group is attempting to intimidate the School Directors into keeping Rupert open.

One particular School Director is so opposed to anything but remodeling all 5 schools regardless of the staggering cost with no operational savings that they seem to be willing to do anything to stop anything less than the 5 school plan. That has included scaring certain minority groups in the neighborhoods where a lot of these folks reside by telling them that their homes would be torn down and they would be homeless (remember the smear campaign waged to destroy the downtown campus idea?)

This years intimidation and manipulation tactic was to completely undermining the Presidents Task Force during their work and manipulating School Directors that if they accepted any of the Task Force options their beloved Rupert would be shut down. Only one plan would save their school, and it was not on the Task Force recommendations.

The School District is in a financial crisis-declining assessments, increasing poverty and a bad economy. We are already one of the highest taxed municipalities and School Districts in the entire state. We cannot afford to renovate and keep open 5 schools with zero operational savings.

It is this climate that the 5 Director majority (we wish all of the Directors would work together) reviews all of Pottstown's options and will make the decision that is best for all the stakeholders. It's a shame that in this tough situation that one School Director (not part of the 5 majority) has attempted to lobby and sway the newly elected Directors to stick with the 5 school plan, and stop considering all of the options. This attempted undermining, or "termiting", must stop.

Better yet, this particular School Director should just decide that it is time to do what's best for the education of our children, and stop being derisive. Perhaps resigning from the School Board might be best.

Citizen's Advisory Boards-A Concept That Is Long Overdue

2011-12-24T11:51:00.005-05:00

Recently the Boro of Pottstown approved a budget for FY 2012 that contains a 1.6% tax increase. Council and the Administration probably feel fortunate that given the continuous decline of assessed property values the increase was not higher. That's all well and good. But not good enough.

As taxpayers we rely on part time elected officials and a full time Administration to manage the Boro's finances and the complex processes involved with budgeting. Most of the burden falls on the Administration.

The Boro Manager and Finance Director along with the Council's Finance Committee seem to be fresh out of solutions for reducing the Boro's expenses. Council President Toroney asked each of the Councilors to suggest $50,000 in budget cuts.

A fresh new approach is badly needed. There are more than 20,000 people in this town. Professional people, working class folk's, retired people and stay at home parents. I am sure most of these people have some type of opinion about the way that the Boro is run.

What I am getting at is that I believe that now is the time for the Boro of Pottstown to establish Citizens Advisory Boards. The Boards would consist of people who want to participate in public service without holding a public office. The focus of these Boards would be to:

1) Assist Council on formulating public policy.

2) Conduct due diligence on technical issues.

3) Build public consensus on issues prior to Council voting on a policy decision.

4) Provide a forum for public discussion that is not currently available to the residents. Three minutes before Council when they have already made up their mind is completely inadequate.

5) Elicit expertise from interested parties in town at no cost.

6) Provide a more comprehensive study of important and complex issues than a part time Council could.

A current example of something close to a Citizens Advisory Board would be the Ad Hoc Trash Committee. This panel was made up of a few private citizens but also 2 Council members. A CAB should ideally be filled with non-elected officials. There should be no political agenda. There should be only the collection and study of an issue assigned to it by Council. The CAB studies an issue, collects as much public input as possible, and makes a recommendation to Council.

Here is the hard part for our elected officials: Setting aside their ego's, our elected officials need to embrace the concept of CAB's. Council creates CAB's for specific issues, provides guidance, and accepts the findings and recommendations of the CAB's. Council votes to accept or reject a policy or ordinance change after thoroughly reviewing the CAB's findings.

It is important for our elected officials to understand that there are many folk's who may have ideas or solutions and it is time to tap and embrace this resource.

I would urge Council to immediately implement (if not already on the books) a CAB ordinance. Perhaps the first CAB created upon adoption of the ordinance would be to study every aspect of the way that the Boro of Pottstown functions, and develop out of the box long term solutions and changes to the way government operates instead of endlessly pushing the the same old year after year raise taxes button.

There is a plethora of information available for interested folks to look into CAB's and the role many local governments have assigned to CAB's. The time is now. Pottstown as a community has reached their limit on the endless tax increases. It's time for something different.

Never doubt . . .

2011-12-08T23:39:00.001-05:00

that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed. It is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead

So...who's up for a Saturday morning CA$H Mob??

What's a "CA$H Mob," you say? Understandable, as it may need some explaining...
"Cash Mobs" have a prearranged meeting spot, where locals gather, $20 in hand ready to spend at a particular local business (can spend more if able and desired, of course). It's a great demonstration of how, with a focused, joint effort, each person's purchasing power can truly make a difference.

($20 x 15-20 = $300 to $400 - Now, that's a pretty decent local impact.)

I know, I know... there is a lot going on this weekend ... just trying to help you check off a few more of those special peeps on your X-mas list with local purchases. Since that holiday shopping does have to get done soon, and you still need to eat, why not keep it local? That said...

Announcing, with a continued focus on building a new community-wide commitment to Pottstown's own 3/50 Project – dedicating $50 of our spending to 3 local businesses/month - Re-Occupy Pottstown Local Businesses' next local CA$H Mob:

Saturday, December 10th @ 10:00

**Pottstown Farmer's Market
300 E. High Street, Pottstown, PA 19464
Check 'em out on facebook ahead of time.
A $20 bill is our "weapon" of choice in the Shop Local First battle!

Pottstown Farmer's Market offers one-stop-shopping: order your holiday flowers at Pottstown Florist, pick-up some seafood for dinner at Mosteller's, purchase your produce for the week at J & H Produce, then grab a great lunch at Grumpy's. (Only suggestions, of course.)

**Let's try to have as many of us as possible meet at the front entrance of the Market before we begin shopping at 10:00 am. I will have identifying "Re-Occupy P-town Local Biz - CA$H MOB" stickers available to anyone who would like to sport one; this should make us easily identifiable to the local merchants/business owners (and other shoppers) while we go about or business. After all, we want everyone to know that we are proudly making a concerted effort to keep our spending choices local!

And, it doesn't have to end there! After lunch stay and enjoy the great holiday events planned by PDIDA (Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority):

Santa House Open 12 to 4pm

Face Painters at Memories N More

Coloring at Argentos
Reindeer Food Making at the Farmer’s Market
Crafters/Vendorsat the Farmer’s Market
Story-time @ Tango (139 High St) Every half hour starting at Noon
Santa Shop Open at The Gallery on High - great, inexpensive gifts for our younger local shoppers

Bonus!! There is FREE PARKING SATURDAYS & SUNDAYS during December!

And, if you want to keep the local shopping going longer, you can! Our friends in Boyertown are hosting their own THRIVE Local event this Saturday from 10:30 - 1:30

Tell all of your local friends and family about the next "CA$H MOB," and encourage them to support the shop-local-first effort!

Power to the Pottstown People!

The Mercury Needs To Emulate Their Sister Paper The Times Herald

2011-12-06T12:50:00.003-05:00

The Mercury (I believe that the story was first provided by the Downingtown paper) has reported that soon to be ex-Montgomery County Commissioner has been charged with perjury for lying to a Grand Jury. I am not going to discuss all the details here, but the important point is this: The Norristown Times Herald, owned by the same company that own's The Mercury, conducted an undercover investigation of Matthews activities after allegations of Sunshine Law violations surfaced.

What? A local paper did investigative work? And it's a paper owned by the same company that own's The Mercury? I am astounded. I am astounded that a small town paper had the resources to do the investigative work. The company that own's a lot of the local papers in SE Pa., Alden Global Capital, purchased the newspapers from the Journal Register Company in July.

For years I thought that all papers did this kind of investigative work, ran editorials that supported or criticized local government and endorsed candidates for election. However, for a long time now, we have rarely seen that kind of activity from The Mercury. They are not completely silent, after all, they do support Tom Hylton publicly. (How can we forget the "its just Tom being Tom editorial?) Just my opinion, but The Mercury just seems to be evolving more towards a regional everyone feel good rag than a legitimate local news source. They share a lot of the same stories that all of the other local papers print. They save money that way. That also takes up valuable space that could be used to talk about real life in Pottstown. There is just not enough local coverage. We get fluff pieces like the 10 hottest holiday gadgets, etc.

There is much behind the doors back room shenanigans that has gone on in this town and probably still continues. Most of the residents in this town are kept in the dark about the back room deals. Why? Because The Mercury (as far as I know) does not do any investigative reporting. Many folk's in this town still think that The Mercury is the only source for information, and they are kept in the dark about Pottstown reality.

Here's hoping that The Mercury is inspired by The Times Herald to go back to doing more real investigative reporting and less fluff pieces like the US having more Dollar Stores than Drugstores. Who really cares about that?

RE: "Cash Mob" - Pottstown, PA | Dec 3, 2011 - pay it forward!

2011-12-03T08:44:00.000-05:00

Dear Fellow Pottstown Community Members,

I would like to invite you to join in re-establishing a dedication to our community by embracing the importance of shopping locally FIRST - whenever possible!

Pottstown has some great small businesses that are striving to become established; they cannot do it without the support of their neighbors, friends and fellow community members.

I often hear from fellow Pottstonians that they wish there were more places to shop, eat, spend their money in Pottstown. Well, the truth of that matter is that there is little hope of a path being beaten by small business owners to Pottstown if our community isn't willing to financially support the great small businesses and "mom and pop shops" that we are so lucky to already have. However, imagine if Pottstown were to gain the reputation of being a community that supports our local businesses, first and foremost; that, I believe, would surely spread to those looking for a community to "set-up shop."

That said, I'm proposing that the Pottstown community starts our own 3/50 initiative, committing to the following ideas and principles, and helping to build a more sustainable Pottstown.

3/50 Project Principles:

Think of three businesses you'd hate to see disappear, then pop in and say hello.... Pick 3 each month. Spend 50. Save our local economy.

I have committed to do this on behalf of myself and my family...will you?

I would also ask that you visit our "Re-Occupy Local Pottstown Businesses" facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/groups/pottstownspendlocal) and request to join. I'll be adding local business suggests; please feel free to do the same.

On a final note, please consider joining us for our first holiday season "Cash Mob" this coming Saturday (please see details below).

Shop-Local-First "Cash Mob" Event

Saturday, December 3, 2011, 11:00 AM

Gallery on High

254 East High Street Pottstown, PA (map)

Details:

$20 is the weapon of choice for Re-Occupy Pottstown Local Businesses' next shop-local-first event, "Cash Mob." For each "cash mob" event there will be a prearranged meeting spot (our first "cash mob" location will be The Gallery on High on Saturday, December 3 at 11 am). We will meet with $20 in hand ready to be spent at the local business (anyone can spend more if you are able and would like, of course).

This is a great demonstration of how, with a focused, joint effort, each person's purchasing power can truly make a difference.

($20 x 15-20 = $300 to $400 - Now, that's a pretty decent local impact.)

Please forward this to all of you local friends and family, and encourage them to support our shop-local-first effort!

Power to the Pottstown People!

Amy

~ Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed. It is the only thing that ever has. - Margaret Mead

Anonymous Comments Go Way of Dodo Bird!

2011-12-03T08:34:00.002-05:00

Today it's official at The Pulse, commenters will now be required to register their names in order to have their views posted to Code Blue's blog.

Thanks to Evan Brandt's tenacious dialogue with The Mercury and its readers regarding the topic of anonymous comments, and the downward spiral they so often take, we here at The Pulse saw that it was time we stepped up to the plate on the issue, as well.

With this decision we hope to provide readers and commenters with more of a "the truth will set you free," empowering atmosphere. We stand behind the notion that every person is entitled to live in the space of their own opinion, whether it is in agreement with a particular idea or post, or not. We are confident that each and every one of us is capable of extending this common respect for one another - one that is rooted in the idea that everyone is entitled to their own views, opinions and beliefs . . . however different they seem to be from our own.

Power to the Pottstown People!

Important Changes Taking Shape With The Swearing In Of The New School Board Director's

2011-12-02T12:12:00.005-05:00

The newly elected Pottstown School Directors were sworn in last night. Judy Zahora was elected President and Bob Hartman was elected Vice-President. Just from the first meeting you can see that there will be major changes.

First, by a vote of 5-4, the position of liaison between Crabtree, the architects involved with the SD, and the School District was changed from the Chairman of the Neighborhood Schools Committee, Tom Hylton, to the Superintendent, Dr. Lindley. No one else is authorized to speak to Crabtree by virtue of this vote.

Secondly, by order of President Zahora, all SB Directors are required to use the PSD email system to conduct SB business. The use of private emails is not permitted for SB use. This is a big step towards transparency, since all communications in the SD are subject to RTK laws.

Finally, President Zahora discussed committee assignments and streamlining of the committees. Personnel and finance will be combined, but more importantly, it appears that the Neighborhood Schools Committee, consisting of Tom Hylton, Dennis Wausnock and Valerie Harris will be discontinued.

Difficult decisions will need to be made and acted on in a timely manner in order to move the PSD forward in a fiscally sound manner that balances the educational needs of the community with the decreasing ability of the taxpayers to pay.

We hope that once those difficult decisions are made the Board stays the course and sees the plan through to the end. The clock is running!

I gotta feeling...

2011-12-01T10:28:00.001-05:00

that tonight's gonna be a good night!!!

Committee of the Whole Meeting

7:30pm, Pottstown Middle School

2nd Floor LGI Room (Board Reorganization)

Power to the Pottstown People!

No Time Better Than Now: Create A Citizens Task Force To Find Ways To Rein In Local Government Spending!!

2011-11-30T15:25:00.006-05:00

There are more than 22,000 residents in this town. Seven of the 22,000 are elected to Borough Council. Two of those seven are opposed to raising taxes. None of the seven have any idea's on how to lower the budget and not raise taxes. The Boro Manager and Finance Director can only do so much.

Why not create a task force of interested citizen's to spend the next 11 months studying Pottstown's expenditures and look for out of the box ways to reduce the size and cost of this government? What is the harm? Are Council's ego's so huge that they are afraid to ask for help? Don't all 22,000 residents have a stake in our local government?

This task force cannot be stocked with political appointees and buddies of Council folks. This task force cannot be pro-union or anti-union. This task force must be pro-Pottstown's future.

I have said many times that this Boro operates under a certain amount of secrecy. The time is now to let the sunshine in completely. Appoint a task force. Set goals. Open the doors and books. And most importantly, listen to what they have to say when the work of the task force is complete.

Borough Spending Addiction Continues

2011-11-30T10:44:00.005-05:00

Pottstown Borough Council has voted to advertise next years budget. This budget calls for a tax increase of 3.6%. Let's understand that amounts to about $31 for a home with an assessment of $85,000. $31 is not a lot of money. OK, I get it.

If you are a sitting Councillor you may justify this in your mind by saying it's just $31. These same Councillor's might also rationalize the increase this way: If you can afford to take a vacation, then you can afford just $31 in a year. If you can afford to go out to eat or go to the movies or have that fancy cell phone then you can afford $31 more a year.

But let's face the facts. People are getting squeezed in a vise. Cutting back. Less or no vacation. Less eating out or going to the movies, etc. What happens when the taxpayers of this town are so squeezed that there is nothing left to cut? Trust me on this, that day is coming. Just look at Europe. Will the Pottstown Borough Council continue to raise taxes or find new ways of reducing their spending? I have said it time and again. Government has a spending addiction, not a revenue problem.

I also urge every homeowner in this town to band together and appeal their assessments. This is the only way that we can fight the endless spending in this town. If the value of one of the few assets in this town that people have keeps dropping, then tax revenue keeps dropping. What if the revenue from lowered assessment's prompted the Council to want to raise taxes 36%, not 3.6%? Would they just sit there and vote yes?

I think that Council needs to put together a task force of citizens (not political appointees and buddies) to analyze every expenditure next year and make recommendation's to Council to reduce the size and cost of government.

Lets also keep in mind that these folk's voted to raise your taxes again this year:

Steve Toroney

Mark Gibson

Jeff Chomnuk

Joe Kirkland

These elected officials may believe that they are looking out for the people of this town, but they are not. They are not looking out for the elderly woman that only has SS to live on or the family of 4 where both parents work (if they still have jobs) and are struggling to live pay to pay. Don't forget the untold number of folks whose mortgage is underwater.

Council needs to look at the lower rung of folks on the economic ladder in this town and retool government to that economic level.

100% Pottstown = 99% USA

2011-11-16T08:21:00.001-05:00

Giving Power Back To The People!

Thank you, Evan Brandt of The Mercury.

Power to all the People (one Pottstown at a time)!

Signs Of The Times (A Positive Sign Update)

2011-11-11T08:47:00.000-05:00

It appears that our campaign sign collection initiative has worked. The initial two signs were removed, but then more hit the collection spot yesterday. (Interestingly enough, I noticed this morning that those signs were also taken down.) I'm sure that there are now few enough signs remaining around town for our friends to take care of quickly and easily on their own.

Thanks &

Power to the Pottstown People.

Occupy Pottstown

2011-11-10T10:58:00.001-05:00

I mean it ... LITERALLY ... occupy Pottstown.

While the Occupy movement has struck a chord for me (see Occupy Pottstown on facebook and ask to join the group if interested) along with many, many other Americans, and I support and encourage the movement that may finally be the jolt of caffeine necessary to wake up all of those Americans walking about in their foggy apathetic slumber, it isn't what I am referring to this time. What I do mean is that I believe it is time for those who receive a salary that is in any way, shape or form paid for by the taxpayers of Pottstown be requested to OCCUPY (ie, reside in) Pottstown, and, no...I really don't think that is too much to ask...AT ALL.

Now, for some reason, this seems to be an age-old debate around this town; one of which I just don't understand. I have said this on many other occasions, so for the simple sake of saving some typing time, I copy and pasted something I wrote on my friend Roy's (aka Roy's Rants) blog the other day...I apologize, in advance, if some of this is a repeat for you. Below is a reply I wrote regarding the recent PAID Executive Director hire:

"It’s great that there is now someone at the helm of PAID, and someone who seems well qualified – I agree, Roy. While I’m sure Mr Bamford is a wonderful man, I just can’t seem to wrap my brain around the Pottstown hiring practice of NEVER, EVER hiring from within the borough for such positions. It’s crazy to me! I have to believe that there are qualified people for these positions living within borough limits…people who pay the exorbitant Pottstown taxes to keep the borough going – year in and year out. And, if after a thorough local search it happens to be that the most qualified individual does not live in town, there should at least be a requirement that they must move to the borough within a certain time frame. No negotiation or amendments to the rule. If they aren’t willing to live amongst the people that assist in paying their salary, then why would we want them making the decisions which mold the town that we live in…but they do not?

This seems like a bit of a no-brainer to me, however, it apparently isn’t….because we continue to ALLOW our paid leaders (most of whom also chose not to live amongst us) to do this? We as Pottstonians need to remember, ourselves, who pays the bills.

My grandfather had a great motto: “He who pays picks.” He was usually referring to the choice of restaurant, however, as tax-paying adult I think the same should hold true of all positions that salaries are paid for – in any way, shape or form – by local taxpayers.

This decisions seems to reek of the all-too-familiar (although not necessarily self-imposed) Pottstown inferiority complex. Isn’t it time that the Pottstown taxpayers reclaim our collective voice – and a little of our dignity while we are at it?

So, that said, I’d like to offer a new Pottstown mantra, “Think Globally, HIRE Locally.” And, in the meantime, I’ll offer Mr Bamford and the New PAID organization the best of luck in their revitalization efforts of the town that I do choose to call home."

So, you tell me...am I really off base with this idea? Am I so wrong to perceive that when folks display a reluctance to literally "Occupy Pottstown" right along side of us that it sort of comes off like choosing to sit in the back of the room, closest to the door, in case a hasty exit is in order?

I guess, for me, it boils down to a pretty upfront question, "Are you in, or are you out?" Truth be told, when it comes to the revitalization efforts of our town, I don't believe we can afford to give the very people who are supposed to be intragale parts of the solution the option to dip their toe in first; I believe we need people who are ready, willing and able to take a swan dive right into the issues and have possibly even made a financial commitment to the town in the way of a residential real estate purchase. Truth be told, I believe Pottstown deserves better than always hiring from the outside as a rule. Truth be told, I believe Pottstown deserves to adopt the hiring practice of searching from within first!

As a final thought and what I think is some interesting food for thought, I share the following comment from The Mercury online comments under the article Fight against blight: State Rep. Marcy Toepel is not a typical landlord...one that hits the mark of a literal "Occupy Pottstown" movement.

sad but true said:

"how about this...

if, indeed, the toepel's have such a great affinity for pottstown (along with the many others who claim to hold pottstown in such high regard - ie, all of the people who have their salaries paid for by the people of pottstown: borough manager, chief of police, police officers, the multitude of school district employees), why haven't they committed to the town by purchasing their family home here?

it seems only fair and logical that pottstown should hope and expect to get some of the taxes back that it pays out in annual salaries.

what a huge impact there would be if behind the majority of salaries paid for by the taxpayers of pottstown and people owning investment properties in town there was a pottstown homeowner, taxpayer AND voter. how different would our town and our elected officials be today? how different would the school district be if the majority of it's employees would have voting power in our town and have their children in the pottstown schools? how different would the borough be today if the majority of the police force and their chief lived in or near the neighborhoods that they are patrolling nightly? how different would the rental unit situation be if the majority of landlords lived in Pottstown, too - giving them the ability to vote in Pottstown local elections?
walk the talk. that will show pottstown their real, impactful affinity."

The things that make you go, "hmmmm."

Power to the Pottstown People!

Amy Bathurst Francis

A Positive Sign (or two)!

2011-11-09T08:48:00.001-05:00

I was trying to think of a way to help my friends Andrew, Judy and Mary-Beth with the cumbersome task of political sign collection across town, so I thought it might be easier for them if there was just one, giant collection spot.

You, too, can help. Allow me to suggest that if you would like to help simplify this exhausting job for our new school board elect friends, add your sign(s) to ours at this one easy pick-up location:

200 block of Chestnut Street, right before the Penn Street intersection, left hand side.

Power to the Pottstown People!

Code Blue Endorsed Candidates Win Seats On The Pottstown School Board

2011-11-08T22:55:00.005-05:00

School Board candidates Judy Zahora, Mary-Beth Lydon and Andrew Kefer have won seats on the Pottstown School Board. They will be joining current School Board Directors Polly Weand and Bob Hartman in an effort to provide a balance between buildings and the student's education.

Tom Hylton's efforts to load the School Board with candidates who are only concerned with spending millions of taxpayers dollars with no operational savings to turn all 5 elementary schools into Taj Mahal's has failed. Buildings are important but not at the expense of the educational programs for the students.

Mr. Hylton, why don't you endeavor to work with the new Directors to find balanced solutions for the schools instead of spending thousands of dollars trying to convince everyone that your way is the only way?

The Best Choices For Pottstown School Board!!

2011-11-08T07:42:00.000-05:00

There Are Some Really Bad Choices For School Board

2011-11-05T17:55:00.003-04:00

Unless you are part of the apathetic class in this town that allows folk's like Tom Hylton to thrive, then you obviously know that there is an election on Tuesday. If you are part of the blight of apathy in Pottstown, don't worry about it, those same folk's will continue to degrade the future of this town by acting as your proxy.

For those voting, there are a few really bad choices. Dennis Wausnock has been involved in Pottstown politics for a long time. The problem with Dennis is that he spends most of his time living in Boyertown, as is his right. It must be very tiring driving back and forth for school board meetings since there have been multiple times that he has fallen asleep during the meeting. There have also been times that he has been spotted during the meeting reading a newspaper. I am not sure why after years and years of service to the residents of Pottstown Dennis keeps seeking re-election. It's a tragedy that the 10% of the registered voters who actually vote keep him in that School Board seat.

William Habekost, according to the official documents, assaulted his now ex-wife during a domestic dispute. Habekost pleaded to a misdemeanor assault charge. Everyone makes mistakes, but do we need to reward them with a seat on the School Board?

Avram Hammer is also on the ballot. Why? I don't know the man, but the things I hear about, like admitting that you have a sexual addiction and referring to yourself as the "Jewish Fabio" don't inspire me to put this person on a School Board shaping educational policy.

Who is supporting these 3 candidates (a term that I am using very loosely)? You guessed it, Tom Hylton. Tom's base of power is shrinking. From Planning to Shade Tree's, Hylton has been shown the door. Tom has now spent years living and thriving in the shadow of apathetic voters working elections to build a majority on the School Board to use the 5 elementary schools as a petri dish to further his book and lecture career. I have said it before and I will continue to say it-we are the guinea pigs in Hylton's Leave It To Beaver social experiments.

Surely there are better candidates than these 3 to keep Pottstown from drowning in debt and causing mass exodus from town by people who simply cannot afford hundreds more a year on top of one of the highest tax burdens in the state for one person with acute megalomania.

Golden Cockroach Is Telling The Ugly Truth

2011-10-21T10:51:00.003-04:00

The Golden Cockroach blog, http://goldencockroach.wordpress.com/, is telling everyone the ugly truth about Pottstown's worst slumlords and delinquent property owners. GC is naming names and calling on those people who are sucking the life out of Pottstown one slum property at a time to fix their properties and/or get out of Pottstown.

If you are a delinquent property owner in town, or you have rented to the dregs of society who sell drugs on the front sidewalk and commit crimes in our community, you can expect to see your information posted on GC.

I urge everyone to spread the word about this ugly but necessary blog. The more light that is shed on these cancerous properties and their shameless owners the better. Ever hear about turning on a light in a dark room and watching the cockroaches scurrying for cover? Cockroach property owners can only hide for so long. That is the goal of this blog.

Council Upholds HARB Decision To Force Landlord Into Compliance

2011-10-12T11:42:00.002-04:00

Marc Simmons has been mentioned in this blog before. Mr. Simmons owns multiple properties in Pottstown. In October of 2009 Mr. Simmons started tearing the porch off of 331 King St. without Permits or HARB review.

Fortunately the Codes folk's discovered the illegal demo and issued a cease and desist order. Mr. Simmons was then forced to appear before HARB, who directed him to replace the porch in kind. Skipping the gory details, Mr. Simmons replaced the porch but did not replace the columns to match the turned columns on the other half of the twin.

Mr. Simmons has been back to HARB multiple times in the past 2 years and he has been told the same thing every time-put the spindle turned columns back. HARB suggested where to find them, HARB has even agreed to consider columns that were not exact matches but were similar.

Mr. Simmons appeared before HARB again the last week of September. There was nothing new. Simmons just wanted HARB to let the property go the way that it was. Evidently he has the building sold but the HARB violations are preventing the sale from going through.

HARB entertained Mr. Simmons plea and then voted unanimously to let previous decisions stand. The columns needed to be replaced with columns to match the other half. Simmons indicated that he would appeal to Council, which was his right.

Last night Borough Council, recognizing the importance of HARB and armed with the history of the issue and photos, denied Mr. Simmons appeal unanimously and sent him back to HARB. We applaud Borough Council for standing firmly behind HARB.

Mr. Simmons, fix the columns and sell the property. You should also consider selling your other Pottstown properties since you don't respect what this town and it's volunteer and elected officials are trying to do, which is protect our architectural heritage.

The Clock Is Ticking...

2011-09-29T09:53:00.001-04:00

The 2011-2012 year has begun and the process of decision-making regarding the renovations to the 5 elementary schools is underway. That means if people want to see work done over the summer, presuming it won’t impact the beginning of the next term, the clock is ticking.

There are many issues and options to be considered before any work should begin. It seems, to me, that in order to effectively and appropriately consider and weigh all items to make each building as equal, in amenities, as possible meetings, paperwork and plans should be circulating in a fevered way to meet the soft deadline of June 2012. This is why I am glad a meeting of the Neighborhood Schools Committee is scheduled for September 29^thBUT I question why the meetings are being scheduled on an ‘as needed’ basis. This seems wrong to me, given all the families with a vested interest in the whole project. To me, this seems to indicate complacency with the importance of the project, as a whole.

I realize that some portions of a process move, only so fast. I further recognize the proper process of information-sharing, public advertising and voting meetings and take them for what they are BUT it is unfair to attach a realistic expectation for work to begin and fail to give all circumstances their proper due in meetings and to the public. I would expect to see a multitude of meetings and information being collected and shared and a sense of urgency to get the ‘plan’ finalized and communicated to ALL stakeholders. I feel that sense of urgency might be lacking.

I would insist that all schools become as equal as possible, given the intent to not change the footprint of the buildings. While I realize that some buildings might cost more to renovate, given the physical characteristics of each building, the goal (IMHO) should be to make no building the building your student visits and says they wish they went there instead of the building they presently attend. A sense of community is a sense of pride and no building should be more favored than another as the details of the renovations are worked out. The goal of this project should be to project the image, to an outsider, that each building is equally equipped to educate ANY student, thus being a small part of the WHOLE system.

I think the maximum spending should be established and all plans need to be placed for the public to consider BEFORE one building is touched. I feel this would make the public aware of the what they are getting for the money they are about to spend and ensure that no one building was about to get the ‘lion’s share’ of the money. This project must be thought through carefully to succeed and provide the resolution to this issue so many people seek. The transparency in this process (showing each plan, modification, balance sheet, expected timeline, relocation plans for staff & students, etc.) was promised as were rough costs – don’t blindside the public after work begins.

Again, I wish the board, administration and architects luck as I think this is a daunting task to accomplish, thoughtfully and thoroughly, before next June. Just so we are clear, the clock only moves forward and each day information isn’t gathered, deliberated or shared is a day lost to the idyllic promise of completing work over the summer.

TICK-TOCK.

Submitted by Steph Carmody

Roof Problems At Rupert -Why Do Some Insist On Keeping This Crumbling Dinosaur Open?

2011-09-25T10:16:00.002-04:00

Recently Rupert Elementary's roof leaked so bad that students needed to be relocated to other rooms and other schools. Additionally, the basement took on water.

This school is the crowning piece in King Hylton's plan to bankrupt all of the taxpayers by spending $20 million to renovate all 5 schools with no operational savings. Rupert has already come in with a substantially higher price tag from the architects than what King Hylton outlined in his plan to save old crumbling buildings. By the time that all of the schools are actually costed out there will not be enough money to actually do the work in all of them. Either the King will need to appropriate more of our taxes or not do the work. Sorry Edgewood and Franklin. Maybe 30 years from now when 25% of the population is gone due to the oppressive tax burden the remaining folk's will be able to float another long term bond. Probably not.

What is astounding is that since the coronation of King Hylton by the other traitors to the taxpayers there has been no public outcry, even though the bad news keeps piling up. There is still time for people to realize that they are being hoodwinked by the King and right the ship. The level of apathy in this town is why the King continues to operate. He thinks 300 voters in a town of 22,000 people is a mandate.

I would also like to know why, in a public building that houses the communities children the Boro Codes Department did not conduct an inspection of the collapsing Rupert roof, which was a threat due to falling plaster. Not to mention the wet basement, with potential mold issues. The Boro should have inspected the building and condemned it until the issues have been resolved.

The whole basis for this plan is for the King to travel around the country collecting speaking fees for talking about the "successes" that he has in Pottstown. We are the petri dish so he can get rich. Perhaps anyone who considers hiring the King should visit Pottstown and talk to the residents who are suffering property damage due to his tree scheme or the business people who hate back-in angle parking or any of the taxpayers who will fund his next disaster (band aids on old crumbling schools).

When the students are ready...

2011-09-19T11:32:00.000-04:00

...the teacher will appear.

Something quite remarkable is being offered to the Pottstown community - right now... at this very minute. Pottstown has been given our very own "teachable moment," a moment that could tick by without so much as a second glance by many.

The "teachable moment," the moment of educational opportunity when people are likely to be particularly disposed to learn something or particularly responsive to being taught or made aware of something, which is being offered to our community - the opportunity to change; change our approach on how we educate our children, and the environment in which it is done.

Pottstown's potential "teacher" - a chance; a perhaps fleeting opportunity to grab the gold ring and become a community respected and revered by surrounding school districts for taking a bold, new approach to how we "do" education.

The "students" - us; "We, the people." The collective group of citizens that form the design, that create the town, that is known now as Pottstown.

Currently there are choices being made regarding what Pottstown's elementary education will look like in the future, and I'm afraid that there may be some more creative options being overlooked, ignored and/or dismissed out of a desire to stick to the "same-old, same-old." Whether creative options are embraced as an opportunity for Pottstown's growth, or shunned due to a historical Pottstown stubbornness and reluctance to change and compromise, one thing is for certain . . . these choices hold the possibility for progress to occur or apathy to continue in our borough.

Decisions regarding the education of Pottstown's children, our elementary configuration and theredistricting of our students should be realized and appreciated by the entire community as the pivotal moments that they truly are, and that these choices regarding Pottstown's public education currently being made - for good or bad - will put us on a path that leads to a specific destination and outcome - even if the destination may end up being not so desirable for the Pottstown people. My hope is that the citizens of Pottstown do their own research on public education in America and embrace the possibility that taking a different approach to such matters at this crucial time may very well create a ripple effect in this community, and become a well-deserved catalyst for positive change in it.

Finally, I offer a homework assignment: investigate and consider some different approaches to public education for yourself. I have included a couple of links regarding a school model that I think is particularly well-suited for Pottstown, a community education approach. I don't suggest this to be the only alternative to what we currently have, but rather to spur on some dialogue on the topic. As parents we expect our children to complete their homework every day; I believe that we owe it to them to do our homework on the system that they will be part of for 14 years of their life, as well.

Power to the Pottstown People!

http://www.communityschools.org/aboutschools/what_is_a_community_school.aspx

http://www.urbanstrategies.org/programs/schools/CommunitySchools.php

http://www.childrensaidsociety.org/community-schools

The Truth Is Starting To Come Out, And You Won't Like It!!

2011-09-13T16:04:00.003-04:00

So the truth is starting to come out about the actual costs for the Hylton 20 year band-aid plan. We warned you that the numbers in his plan were not accurate and he was hoodwinking the public.

The Crabtree final construction estimate for Rupert, based on Hylton's spreadsheet, is $5 million. That leaves just $10 million for the other 4 schools. There is a real concern with some members of the school board (who are being ignored since Hylton was crowned King of the NSC) that Lincoln will take another $5 million from the leftover funds, meaning just $5 million to do the other 3.

Why the hell is this being allowed to continue? Hylton will just borrow more and more money to finish putting 20 year band aids on 5 schools. We will pay 30 years or more for 20 year band aids. Our taxes will go through the roof !! We will realize zero operational savings. And as previously discussed, this plan may cause some level of racial re-segregation, since school boundaries are being redrawn.

People, we can still stop this. There is an election in November. It's not too late. In the past year the Boro came to their senses and booted Hylton from the Shade Tree Commission and the Planning Commission. There is a reason for that. We simply cannot afford this soon to be $20 million dollar network of monuments to the Holy One.

Pottstown Open Doors Schedule of Events

2011-09-10T06:58:00.003-04:00

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2011

Downtown Events -
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Free Bus Transportation
throughout the day.

Opening Ceremonies at Smith Plaza

Pottstown Middle School Jazz Band begins

performance at 10:45 a.m.

Pennsylvania State Police

Aviation Patrol Fly Over

WPAZ Community Dance Party

Entertainment throughout the day by local groups

Music on High Street Company Open House

Tri County Performing Arts Center Open House

Pottstown Regional Library Open House/Kid Activities/Book signing by local author Mike Snyder

Pottsgrove Manor Tours/Activities/Demonstrations

Carousel at Pottstown Open House Tours

Pottstown Karate Club/Cross Fit Pottstown Demonstrations and Tours

Montgomery County Community College Art Gallery Open House

Hill School Boyer Art Center Open House and Tours

Gallery on High/Gallery School of Pottstown Open House and kid activities

Bentley Skateboard Shop Demonstrations and activities

Community Garden 423 Chestnut St. Demonstrations/Displays/Kid Activities/Meet the Vegetable Mascots

Swing Kats Dance Demonstration

Roller Derby Stars Demonstration

Miller Keystone Blood Drive Donation Van

9/11 Photo Display

Borough Hall Child Safety Program

Tri County Bikes — Bike Pottstown Program

McLickys Ice Cream — One free topping with the purchase of each ice cream

Genesis Housing Open House

YMCA Open House — free community swim noon to 2 p.m.

Washington Park Open House and Community Mural Display

High School Campus Events - 2 to 5 p.m.

"Opening ceremonies" PHS cafeteria patio 2 p.m.

More than 40 community group informational tables with handouts and activities

Each of Pottstown's school buildings will have an educational display table with activities and giveaways

Health Fair with demonstrations, screenings, and displays

Live The Dream Foundation — Kids Court activities

Miller Keystone Blood Donation Van

Police Bike Safety Program/Opportunity to win a free bike and helmet

Free Food Court open at 2:45 to 4:45 p.m.

Free School Supplies (while they last)

Pottstown High School Drama Club Celebrity Look-A-Likes

Bounce Houses

Teacher Dunk Tank

Emergency Vehicle Displays and Demonstrations

Military Vehicle Display

Classic Cars

Student Art Display

Career Technical Education Open House Tours - 3 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Local entertainment provided in high school auditorium — performances at 2:30 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

Mascot Hall of Fame/Mascot Challenge

High School Varsity Football Game — Pottstown vs. Penn Wood — with pre-game ceremonies honoring members of our military and first responders at 6:45 p.m. in the high school stadium

put up or shut up

2011-09-04T08:23:00.001-04:00

Idiom: put up or shut up.
informal

interjection

stop talking and act.

Term believed to come from the game of poker. "To put up" is synonymous with "ante up," a call to place money in the ante, or "pot." (The pot is called an ante, which means "before," and could allude to the stake that must be placed "before the draw.")

Here's your chance to get in the game . . .

Shhhhhh.....

2011-08-29T20:43:00.001-04:00

...we don't talk about the "r" word around here.

It is a widely accepted philosophy that in order for any process of healing and progress to take hold, the underlying issue(s) which are causing the pain - typically things that have been ignored, put on the back burner or simply denied for perhaps generations - need to be spoken about. Most agree that it is important for people to acknowledge the very things that a blind eye has been turned towards in the past in order to become the creators of the future rather than the victims of it. I'd like to suggest that those who share a community with one another need exactly the same type of healing in this regard.

As some know, I'm a Pottstonian - through and through; 100% Mrs. Smith's mini-pumpkin-pie-eating after being in a parade, Franklin Elementary/Pottstown Jr High/PSH-going, High Street-cruising, North End Cup-lovin', Mana"tony" Park visiting Pottstonian. This undeniable truth of mine wields the ability to make me beam with pride on some days and cringe with embarrassment on others. I know that I am not alone with what I have experienced; many others who live in the Pottstown community have seen, heard and felt what I have. None-the-less, without words attached to such experiences maybe they are easier to go by ignored... so here goes.

As a 43 year old, born-and-raised Pottstown citizen, I have heard racial slurs more times than I could ever possibly count, have seen people being treated differently/unfairly because of the color of their skin or the fact that English isn't their first language and have been schooled via innuendos and covert Caucasian gestures by many an upstanding local on what part of town I should and shouldn't visit, own a home in and/or expose our children to - if you know what I mean (eyebrows raised). I'm embarrassed that these people thought it was OK to say these things to me and that they believed that because we shared the same race, we also shared the same frame of mind and lack of tolerance for people different than us. I'm embarrassed that I didn't always stop them dead in their tracks and say, "How dare you? I don't agree."

As a youth I grew up enjoying my summers at the North End Swimming Club - a members-only swim club that only had members with one skin color - and going to dances at the Elks Club that also had certain restrictions on their membership. I'm not sure when these restrictions where lifted, but thankfully they were. Still, if your skin is white, take notice of how many people look, more or less, like you the next time you visit one of the various "members only" clubs around town. I'm sure it will be an embarrassingly high percentage.

I attended a very vanilla Franklin Elementary school - I honestly can't think of one person of color that attended Franklin during my years there. On that note, I'd also be hard pressed to offer any memories of diversity amongst the teachers and staff there at that time. I lived in what I recall to be a very, very predominately white North End. Again, I'm unable to remember much diversity AT ALL in the North End neighborhoods back then.

At age 11 I entered Pottstown Jr High as a very sheltered and pretty fearful pre-teen, six years later graduating from Pottstown Senior High School as a 17 year old young adult who was much less concerned or aware of skin color and much more aware and astute of personalities. Pottstown's diversity makes me proud. Out of everything related to my Pottstown education, the diversity I experienced upon entering junior high school made the biggest impact on me by far - so much so that my husband and I made a conscience decision to live and raise our family amongst diversity.

I have heard it said fairly often that Pottstown folks can't agree on many things - perhaps this can be attributed to our great diversity - but surely we can all acknowledge that in the past there have been purposeful decisions made in order to keep things a certain way in our town. I will be the first to say that I believe that being brave enough to question if such unspoken ways are still being practiced in Pottstown - or if a pending decision may have consequences that will under-serve a segment of our population - hardly falls into the category of shameful. However, to allow inequities to be put into to place - in any way, shape or form - when we understand the severe ramifications of doing so...now THAT is shameful.

Does it take courage to talk about uncomfortable topics such as racism and segregation? It does. Are public discussions about these things imperative to putting them permanently behind us as a community? I believe so.

Power to the Pottstown People!

Why Do Some East Ender's Stubbornly Hang On To Crumbling Old Rupert?

2011-08-26T12:51:00.000-04:00

Recently the School Board voted 5-4 to keep all 5 elementary schools open, which will effectively bankrupt the taxpayers in this town for the next 20 years with no operational savings. The 5th vote to keep all 5 schools open was cast by Director Julia Wilson, a very strong advocate for Rupert school, which is just a block away from Ms. Wilson's home.

Time and time again a few residents in the Rupert area have pressured the School Board to keep it open. Why? Years ago the School Board closed the old Jefferson school and sold it. Why is Rupert any more special or important than Jefferson? Why weren't the residents surrounding Jefferson as important as the residents around Rupert?

For years now Pottstown has bused students from the core area of town to Rupert. Under the new plan, with Rupert closing, students living around Rupert would themselves have to be bused to other schools in town. What? How dare the School District bus Rupert students. It's a good thing a few shortsighted fanatics put a stop to that plan. It wouldn't be right to force Rupert students to do what students from other parts of town have done for years and years. Perhaps the fanatics should receive an extra charge in their taxes. Call it a Rupert tax. It simply is not right to force all of the other beleaguered taxpayers in this town to pony up millions of dollars to keep that old crumbling school open any longer. Not when we could have closed Rupert and saved thousands and thousands of scarce dollars in operational savings over the next 20 years.

Is The Neighborhood Schools Committee Using The Elementary School's Repair Plan As A Way To Re-Segregate Pottstown Schools?

2011-08-24T21:06:00.014-04:00

Code Blue recently learned that in 2009 a slate of candidates calling themselves a "neighborhood school" slate had been elected to the Wayne County NC School Board. Since 2000, the Wayne County SD has utilized a policy of busing by income to insure that the lower income students were balanced with middle and upper income students, a policy which as worked.

The Neighborhood School slate, backed by the group WakeCares with financial help from the group Americans For Prosperity (there is a local chapter of AFP in Elverson), won election and immediately developed a plan to stop the busing policy and have students attend schools closer to their homes. A complaint was filed with the Department of Justice by the NAACP and there were other legal challenges made. Since the Wayne County SD is made up of Raleigh and surrounding area's, and there are a lot of communities with mostly black and low income resident's in those area's, the result is that the Neighborhood Schools slate would be re-segregating the Wayne County School District, which has been considered a national model for diversity in their schools.

Is this the stealth plan by the NSC here in Pottstown to re-segregate Pottstown's elementary schools? For years Pottstown has bused kids from the core center of town to the other schools (such as Rupert) for racial balance, required at one time by the Federal Government. Since busing for racial diversity is no longer the law of the land, School Districts like Wayne County, NC, have been using economic criteria to provide diversity in the schools.

In the Pottstown NSC plan school boundaries are being redrawn to maximize the number of kids walking to school (their "neighborhood school"). The NAACP has called "Neighborhood Schools" code words for segregation. The history of this country is that the poorer schools don't receive the same quality education that the more affluent schools do. We have mocked the NSC plan in the past year as going back to the 50's. Perhaps that is closer to the truth than we think.

We believe that this calls for further investigation. We have submitted an RTK to the Pottstown SD. We want to know what the racial makeup was for each of the elementary schools for the past school year. We also want to know what will happen to the racial makeup of the schools once the NSC plan is implemented. We are also asking the local chapter's of the NAACP and the CCLU (the CCLU is an advocate group for Hispanics in Pottstown) to get involved. Pottstown is a racially diverse community and we simply cannot return to the days of segregation by using the code words "Neighborhood Schools".

By the way, the folk's have risen up in the Wayne County SD and have stopped the re-segregation plan dead in its tracks. If that is happening here, we have to fight it!!!

Pardon Me, Can You Spare $661,000 For The Next How Many Years?

2011-08-20T10:03:00.000-04:00

$661,000 is a lot of money. That's what it will now cost taxpayers extra in taxes until the year who knows? (By the way, the math in the Fishwrap article is wrong. $661,000 until 2020 is only $4 million plus. The payback on $15 million must be a hell of a lot longer-perhaps 25 years) For what? A band-aid. That's what the gang of five voted to do a few weeks ago. But let's be clear-Mr. Hylton's band-aid will almost certainly cost more than the $15 million that the Board authorized their financial consultant to develop a bond plan for. The practical nuts and bolts application of Mr. Hylton's concept are just now being worked out. And keep in mind that the School Board has the borrowing capability of $20 million. Ever see an elected official spend less? Think our taxes will go down in 7 years after the bond is paid for? We don't either. And years down the line, what will we have for the money that we have been bled? The same exact issue all over again. Five aging schools. These schools will need rehab again before this bond is paid off!! Who can know for sure what will happen in the next 15 years in Pottstown? Perhaps the town will recover from it's long steady decline. Probably not. Not with an additional $661,000 a year in School District taxes plus the yearly increases. The tax load will become unbearable and will continue to drive good middle class taxpayers right out of this community.

We didn't love the Task Force plan, either. However, with their plan, and going through the Plan Con process, we would have received a 25% reimbursement of the cost. After the reimbursement we would have a cost of $24 million. The difference is that the projected annual operating expense savings would have been $750,000. There are zero operational savings forecast for Hylton's plan.

This is the price we will all pay for the fanatical plans of a school director with a God complex. Supported by the sleeping SB member who doesn't really live in Pottstown anymore, the lame ducks leaving town and the lackey employed by the fanatical supporter of leaving the crumbling school Rupert open as a monument to the East End, Mr. Hylton has set out to potentially put the last nail in the coffin of this once proud middle class town with his costly Leave It To Beaver scheme. Perhaps we should call this scheme the 1958 Edsel plan.

Remember folk's, this disastrous plan is only possible because of the apathy of so many people in this town. These School Board Directors were each elected with less than 500 votes. In a town of 22,000 residents, that is not even close to a mandate. Mr. Hylton derives all of his power by hiding in the shadow of apathy. By the way, as a reminder, if the Senate bill providing sweeping changes to the Charter School system in Pennsylvania passes, Pottstown will be approached by a Charter School company with an offer to educate all of Pottstown's elementary schools in our buildings at a cost savings to the taxpayers. This company would even pay for the building upgrades themselves. In light of this potential proposal, whats the harm of not doing anything for 2 more years to see if this comes to fruition? We know that Mr. Hylton, a Republican, has a positive view of Charter Schools. Just asking the question, is jumping the gun and fixing the schools a way of sweetening the pot for a potential deal with a private Charter School company? Perhaps this needs to be looked at a little closer.

The Actions Of The Five SB Directors Who Spit On The Taxpayers Is A Disgrace!

2011-08-15T14:32:00.000-04:00

In less than a half hour recently Tom Hylton and his cronies wiped away a years worth of effort by the President's Task Force. No matter what the Task Force recommended, it would have been voted down. The Task Force could have recommended leaving all 5 schools open and doing nothing, and it would have been voted down. Why?

The answer to that is simple. Tom Hylton has some semblance of a plan that he has been trying to shove down our throats for years. Any thing other than his plan would have been unacceptable.

A School Director who has mentioned time and again their complete disdain for Tom Hylton voted against the Task Force recommendation. Why? Aside from possibly feeling intimidated, it was due to their almost fanatical obsession with keeping Rupert open. They would rather vote with the person they disdain than to vote for a common sense option that closes Rupert.

Fine, you don't like the Task Force plan, put it out for referendum. Why not? Simply put, most of these SB Directors were voted in with less than 500 votes. 500 votes out of a population of 22,000 people is NOT A MANDATE. A referendum was shot down by the same 5 who spit on the work of the Task Force and voted for a plan whose cost is not even fully known yet.

Let's understand this. The total control of up to $20 million was placed in the hands of one person. This control was handed to him by a Director who sleeps at virtually every meeting, a Director who will jump ship the minute a patronage job at the County is offered, and 2 lame duck Directors who have both talked about leaving town.

These 4 Directors put all of the power into the hands of a fanatic with a God complex. It's a sad commentary on the apathy in this town that this was allowed to happen. Now we (including all those who stood on the sidelines and did nothing) will pay the price.

To Fix Or not To Fix...That Is The Question...

2011-08-08T15:51:00.004-04:00

There is some thinking in Pottstown that perhaps the County should not fix the Keim St Bridge. Maybe less money should be spent to extend the Keystone Boulevard to the Stowe Interchange of 422. I imagine some folk's in town have romantic connections to the Keim St. bridge, after all, there are a few people in the East End who have romantic delusions towards that aging crumbling pile of bricks known as Rupert (but that's all going to be fixed by a School Director with a God Complex and a blank check for up to $20 million. Lucky us!).

The bridge is falling apart. Tear it down. Tomorrow. But why do we need to think in terms of lack? What I mean is why can't we get the extension of Keystone Boulevard AND have that bridge replaced? I don't know for sure, but if you take a ride through the County Seat, Norristown (otherwise known as rob-stab-shoot-murder town, by the way, for those of you who think Pottstown is bad, you are risking your life to walk through just about any section of that hellhole at any time of day), you figure out why Pottstown is the poor sister of the 2 towns. Seems like Norristown gets the lions share of the dollars and Pottstown gets the crumbs.

I am not opposed to the Keystone Boulevard extension. I welcome the forward thinking of the folk's who are discussing extending that road. But elected officials, stick to your gun's, demand that a modern bridge be built at Keim St sooner than later, and ALSO build the extension. Good access roads are desirable to industry. You can never have too many.

One last word-once again, Councilman Rhoads seems to be the only one of our elected officials who is looking out for the regular folks in this town. The well to do-Christmas Ball attending-boat owner folks in this town don't need advocates(but they seem to have them in the right places), the suffering taxpayers do. Councilman Rhoads seems to be the only person to stick his neck out time and again for the taxpayers, and continuously takes the heat for that. There is a reason that Councilman Rhoads won both sides of the primary (even though he was just a write in on the Republican side) in the 6th ward. The other Councillor's should be taking notes...

National Night Out August 2d

2011-07-31T13:12:00.001-04:00

FOR PRESS INQUIRIES ONLY, CONTACT:

Mary-Beth Bacallao Lydon at 215-528-2757 or flyeredup8831@gmail.com

Anna Johnson 732-580-4149 or VivaPottstown@Hotmail.com

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - - - -NEWS***

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT IN POTTSTOWN, TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2011

“America’s Night Out Against Crime”

Pottstown residents will participate again this year in National Night Out on Tuesday, August 2, 2011. Activities will be at Chestnut Street Park at the corner of Washington and Chestnut Streets in Pottstown, starting at 6:30 pm. The celebration is being coordinated by Citizens for Pottstown’s Revitalization, the MOSAIC Community Land Trust, Pottstown, PA, and Genesis Housing.

Residents old and young are invited to be at the Park at 6:30 pm for the start of the activities. There will be hot dogs and refreshments, public safety demonstrations, and a story time for kids with book reading on internet safety awareness. The official activities for National Night Out, or NNO for short, will last until 8:30 pm.

New this year for Pottstown will be a four-block walk through the streets near the Park. The traditional display of support for NNO is to keep an outside light on during the evening, and to sit outside on a porch or step. The organizers are excited that the short march will add even more spirit and fun to this year’s celebration. Residents who cannot make it to the park are still asked to leave their lights on, and sit outside as their part of the vigil! Rain or shine, the event will go on.

Questions, suggestions and offers to volunteer or contribute can be directed to VivaPottstown@hotmail.com or flyeredup8831@gmail.com.

NNO is an easy way, on a single day, to invest in community spirit and to show that the neighborhoods are being taken back by the people from the criminals. Residents are asked to come out to show solidarity against drugs and crime, and to help develop a partnership between the community and local police, fire and emergency services.

Any organization wishing to set up a table is encouraged to join the activities; please bring your own table and any information or handouts you would like to give away. The organizers will not be able to provide tables. (To help the organizers with planning, please send a note in advance to VivaPottstown@hotmail.com to let them know you’ll be there with your table!)

Thousands of communities and millions of citizens will be participating across the U.S.A. In Pennsylvania alone, as many as 150 municipalities will be taking part. NNO is sponsored by the National association of Town Watch.

ABOUT National Night Out and National Association of Town Watch:

The National Association of Town Watch (NATW) is a non-profit, crime prevention organization which works in cooperation with thousands of crime watch groups and local law enforcement agencies throughout the country.

National Night Out, “America’s Night Out Against Crime”, was introduced by the Association in 1984. The event has grown from 400 towns in 23 states the first year, to over 15,000 communities in all 50 states with 37 million people last year in August 2010. The 2011 event is expected to be even bigger. More information on NATW and NNO can be found at www.NationalTownWatch.org.

ABOUT Genesis Housing Corporation :

Genesis Housing Corporation is dedicated to the development of affordable housing and to the education of consumers on housing and financial issues.

Since 1994, Genesis Housing Corporation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has served Montgomery County as a community housing development organization (CHDO). Our general activities include the rehabilitation and new construction of homes to improve and stabilize neighborhoods and to provide opportunities for lower income homebuyers to purchase homes at affordable prices. Genesis Housing Corporation also provides housing counseling and money management services for potential homebuyers and homeowners. More information on Genesis is available at www.genesishousing.org.

ABOUT Citizens for Pottstown’s Revitalization:

Citizens for Pottstown's Revitalization (“CPR”) is working to unify all of Pottstown's pockets of activism. In keeping with CPR's mission to breathe new life into our community through positive actions, community involvement, courage and respect, we invite you to submit news and comments promoting the betterment of Pottstown. Viva Pottstown! More information is available at www.VivaPottstown.com

ABOUT MOSAIC Community Land Trust, Pottstown PA:

MOSAIC Community Land Trust, Pottstown, PA is a local non-profit corporation dedicated to increasing affordable homeownership opportunities in Pottstown, developing a community garden at 423 Chestnut Street, and empowering residents to participate in the improvement of their own neighborhoods. Collaboration is the key to their efforts to create long-lasting change, and they are already partnering with local businesses, volunteers, Pottstown School District, Pottstown Borough and other community organizations, such as The Gallery and Genesis Housing Corporation. MOSAIC has been working with a nationally-recognized expert in community land trusts, thanks to a grant from National Penn Bank. More information available at www.PottstownCLT.wordpress.com

Code Blue Member Speaks Out On Presidents Task Force

2011-07-28T09:32:00.004-04:00

Submitted by Stephanie Carmody, Code Blue and Presidents Task Force member.

Taken from a recent Mercury Sound-Off:

"So now I read that a former member of the task force for the school closing commission is no longer a resident of the Pottstown community yet still felt the need to vote to close schools. It seems like a conflict of interest to me especially when this person supports the objectives of Code Blue. Why did this person not recuse themself and not vote since they are no longer a member of the school district?

FRUSTRATED POTTSTOWN TAXPAYER"

This is a valid question. I did/do feel the need to close schools in Pottstown - as a resident and a former resident. For me, there was no 'conflict of interest' in voting to close buildings. For anyone that believes that I should've recused myself in voting, for whatever your reasons are, I tell you that I thought of a town fractured by invisible elementary lines and the future that creates. It diminishes the perception that Pottstown is making a 'comeback', if that is possible. I believe it is but I have little faith that such a goal will be reached if people don't let go of some of the notions that the past way of life is the only (or best) way of life in Pottstown.

By land the PSD is not far-reaching, yet there are as many facilities as other larger districts and Pottstown's resources are less and don't appear to be growing. Does this way of thinking support spending more money than the concept the school board just voted to act on? My answer is that one way or another the money will be spent. When all is said and done my fear is that the school board has committed to a lesser scope plan which has the potential to be as, if not more, expensive than what the Task Force reccommended (operationally & renovation cost). My vote was for, what I felt was, a better return on investment and sound, much needed items in the Pottstown elementary schools.

I felt committed to the process and thought I was in a unique position to see things from an inside and outside perspective (afterall, my knowledge and experiences weren't years old) having just moved. As a matter of fact, I owned my home in Pottstown until late January and selling it was a prime concern. As an involved parent in my child's education, I felt an obligation to follow this through to its end. My committment and concern didn't end when I changed my address - is that wrong?

Whether people agree with my support and involvement in Code Blue shouldn't be the issue, nor should my address of record. I care. I did the work and took the time to attend. I deserve the vote I cast and never considered recusing myself. I know people are frustrated with this issue, the cost of taxes and many other things in Pottstown. I could've easily closed the door on that chapter of my life and didn't because I believe things can and should be better in the Pottstown schools - now and in the future. This was the basis of my vote and participation.

The only thing that matters is that conditions improve and equality for all students is achieved. It will all come at a cost and now that the school board has made their choice each resident must choose to do what is best for their own personal situation. I encourage people to stay involved as this process moves forward - remain aware and create the town you want and are willing to support, financially. Remember that the people living on your block are your neighbors but so are the people living across town - the whole town makes the health of the school district sustainable. Make things a town issue not a 'neighborhood' issue.

People are watching to see how this unfolds - some are as frustrated as this poster from the Mercury and don't live in town. I am one of them.

As for Code Blue, we believe in Pottstown and we are committed to speaking up. We don't expect everyone to agree with us, heck we don't always agree amongst ourselves. We just hope our readers consider what we have to say and spread the word to get involved.

Code Blue Discredited?? NOT...

2011-07-27T11:16:00.004-04:00

Let's talk about Code Blue's credibility. From January of 2010 to the present we have advocated for open honest government. We have delved into the major issues (Elementary school question) and minor issues (Pottstown Boro awarding a grass cutting contract to someone who doesn't pay their taxes). What makes one issue more important than the other? Don't we all want our elected officials and employees (who we pay for with high taxes) to do whats best for Pottstown and it's beleaguered taxpayers? Do you think that Boro officials using Boro vehicles for private use is a minor thing? We don't. We believe that it's a symptom of a larger problem. For years this Boro and School Board have done what they wanted behind closed doors and sometimes even broke the rules.

Why has this gone on (and continues to this day)? Because there are so many apathetic folks in Pottstown. There are roughly 22,000 people in Pottstown. Most of the current School Board Directors were elected with about 350 votes. That's right, about 350 out of 22,000 residents. And that is just where a lot of these elected officials thrive. In a town with a high level of apathy the few people elected by the very few act as though they have a mandate to control the entire town and all of the tax money.

Folk's like Code Blue and Save Pottstown (among others) stand up and say no more. We cannot allow our elected officials to operate in the shadow of apathy and do whatever they want. What happens when responsible people stand up? We get slammed in the Fishwrap by anonymous commenters who are most likely shills for the very same people we challenge. We can't get fair reporting from the only print newspaper in town. People should be storming the School District and Boro Hall, supporting our efforts and demanding changes in the system that is bankrupting Pottstown.

But it's always the same story when entrenched corrupted government's respond to people like Code Blue challenging the status quo. I am not saying there are corrupt people, the system is corrupted by money. Money is power. Power corrupts. They and their minions launch personal attack's on the people stepping up to challenge the system. Threatening letters, libelous online comments and other forms of vicious behavior are the norm in an attempt to discredit people like Code Blue. I am here to tell you: it's not going to work, folk's. We are not going away. Clear minded people see attempts to discredit Code Blue for what it is: a dying system fighting to hold on to it's power.

Boro Vehicles Should Not Be Used For Personal Use!!

2011-07-22T18:03:00.005-04:00

During a Boro Council meeting in mid October 2008, an issue was raised about Boro officials using official vehicles for personal use. After the meeting, Police Chief Flanders indicated that anyone using police vehicles for personal use would be"out of here".

Does this policy apply across the board? If so, what is the official policy and what is the penalty for violating this policy? Is the policy the same whether it is an hourly worker or a manager?If there is no policy, there should be one. That is a no-brainer.

Why do I ask? Yesterday, July 21st, early afternoon, Director of Public Works Doug Yerger was spotted doing some shopping at Redners in the North End. The Boro vehicle he drives was parked in the lot. Other folk's have mentioned to me in the past that Boro employees have been seen using Boro vehicles for private use. This is an abuse of the taxpayers money. If none exists, an enforceable policy needs to be put in place now. If a policy exists, then it needs to be equally enforced across all strata of Boro employees. Remember folk's, from the top all the way down, every Boro employee works for you, the taxpayer. These types of abuses cannot be allowed.

Wishful Thinking?

2011-07-15T12:55:00.003-04:00

Yesterday it was announced that Alden Global Capital has purchased 100% of the Journal Register Company, which is the Fishwrap's parent company. One can only hope that Alden put's the Fishwrap out of it's misery. It certainly deserves that fate.

The Fishwrap deserve's that fate due to it's cozy relationship with the true cancer in Pottstown, Tom Hylton. Hylton's long relationship with the Fishwrap and it's misguided editor, Nancy "It's Just Tom Being Tom" March, continue to hoodwink the folk's who waste their dwindling money paying for this rag to show up on their door everyday.

According to the Fishwrap, Hylton's way is the only way. They defend every one of his Leave It To Beaver 1950's schemes, and continue to take his money and publish his outdated propaganda and misogynistic views.

Perhaps Alden, who is strictly interested in profit, will realize that the Fishwrap hurts their bottom line with their fanatical bias in favor of Hylton. Perhaps Alden will realize that a more fair and balanced view of Pottstown will help their circulation.

If Alden just continues the laissez-faire approach of the JRC, ultimately the Fishwrap will fail with the town, which simply cannot survive much more of Tom Hylton's drivel supported by his private PR firm, the Fishwrap. One can only hope it is not too late.

Rx for success: be BOLD!

2011-07-12T21:36:00.001-04:00

Okay, I'm officially an 'out-of-towner'.

Last year my family relocated to Harleysville. We made the choice to move mainly because my husband's commute to and from work was cutting into family time and we weren't happy with that. We realized that what we had in Pottstown could be found closer to his work and we'd gain the lost time and gain the ability to interact as a family, nightly. While we miss the people, we don't miss the inability of the community to move forward, visibly. We keep updated on events in the community and try to come back, as often as we can.

As someone not directly impacted by Pottstown politics, I try to offer my comments and knowledge as a former resident to help move the town forward. I served on the Task Force, this past year, and was proud to do so. I began my journey with the members as a resident and ended as a non-resident. Some people might say this lessens my ability to have a valid opinion, though I disagree. I made a commitment and saw it through to the conclusion, keep in mind my commute was a commitment in and of itself. Were I a Pottstown resident I would support the decision of the Task Force, as I do not believe that a town the size of Pottstown needs five elementary schools. I think many people of the town WANT five schools but I think the delivery of efficient education would be much higher if housed in fewer buildings. So, I am of the belief that Pottstown does not NEED five elementary schools. My view may not be a popular one, but it is one I stand by.

The financial burden, to many, to turn that into a reality would be challenging - this I do understand. I think I just take a different view of annual tax burden. If I'm told my taxes are going up I think how it will affect my monthly mortgage payment. I see a $240.00 increase as a $20.00/month bump up and I know it might mean the amount the mortgage company increases my escrow payment could be as much as $40.00 (to keep math simple, I've elected to use nice round numbers). This boils down to $10.00/week less for me and my family. The question I ask myself is this: Is what I get, in return, worth that increase - especially knowing times are tough? I would answer yes, if I was a Pottstown resident and I was getting a better system of education with an eye toward equality for all children. I think each of the elementary buildings have challenges that should be dealt with and made more full-service buildings, for students, visitors and staff. I think Pottstown displays a significant lack of vision for not supporting that.

I believe it is high time that people start differentiating between WANTING five elementary schools and NEEDING five elementary schools. To be bold isn't easy and change is scary but I really believe keeping what we aren't willing to update and only maintain will be a burden for future generations to come.

“If you want to achieve widespread impact and lasting value, be bold. ”

Howard Schultz (1953 – )
American entrepreneur, chairman of Starbucks

In the end, this tired debate has fractured the community and there is nothing of note to show for it. Had there been progress, which I view as downsizing the number of buildings the district operates, perhaps we would've persued job options as a change rather than purchasing a new home. It does not seem to me that there is a line of people waiting to purchase in Pottstown, rather the opposite - more people are choosing to go elsewhere. From the outside looking in it appears as if little steps forward are met with constant adversity and result in bad decisions or, more often, indecision.

Nevertheless, Pottstown will always have a place in my heart and I want to see it thrive again!!

Stephanie Carmody

The Mercury Is A Willing Partner In School Board Dysfunction

2011-07-10T18:57:00.002-04:00

Today's editorial in the Fishwrap would be laughable if it wasn't so sad. Over the years their obsessive support of the true cancer on the School Board, Tom Hylton, has blinded their shrinking circulation to any other point of view except for Hylton's. Emboldened by the support of the irrational Fishwrap, Hylton continues his relentless assault on this town with his outdated ideas, causing open verbal warfare on the School Board.

We all know that Hylton was the editor of the Fishwrap. We all know that he has the ear of the current editor. Hylton gets special favored advertising rates that no one else can get. He can do no wrong. Hylton endlessly meddled in the work of the Task Force despite being told not to by School Board President Huss. Hylton undermined the credibility of their hard work. Code Blue publicly called for the other School Board members to remove Hylton from the Board. How did Nancy March categorize Hylton's meddling? It was just Tom being Tom.

The Fishwrap is an enabler of Tom Hylton's folly. He can do no wrong. Every article that contains any criticism by anyone in the public is followed by a Fishwrap defense. Ever notice that the US has cozied up to dictators in the past just because they were better than the alternative, like Communists? That is how irrational the Fishwrap is when it comes to defending Hylton.

Opposing points of view from Hylton will never be embraced or considered. The Fishwrap controls the print media and their bias towards him makes it almost impossible to counter his crazy ideas.

I always thought that newspapers were just supposed to print all of the facts and let folks come to their own conclusions. Evidently Nancy March must think that people can't think for themselves, that they must be told what is right and wrong, in this case, Hylton right, everyone else wrong.

So in November the slate of hand picked lackeys will win the election, and the dirty deed will be complete. There won't be enough people to oppose his Leave It To Beaver 1950's schemes. Hylton and March will have hoodwinked enough people to believe that the only way is Hylton's way.

This Board will almost certainly reject any proposals that close Rupert. There are simply not enough votes. This plays right into Hylton's hand. Hylton's $13 million plan for fixing 5 schools is just a band-aid (is geothermal really appropriate as a band-aid?). In the end, when his plan is approved, the hidden costs will be staggering and ultimately will be just as expensive as the current recommendations of the Task Force. And for sure the Fishwrap will mount a vociferous defense of their Golden Child. Hylton and March-partners in the final destruction of this once proud town. It's just sad.

Another Year, Another Tax Hike

2011-07-08T10:53:00.003-04:00

The Pottstown School Board recently passed a budget with a 1.9% tax increase. That is the state allowed index limit without asking for exceptions.

I am sure that the School Board was pleased that the increase was held to 1.9%. I am not. There are many stakeholders in the Pottstown School District. Teachers. Parents of students. Groups of parents representing their own little kingdom's (Such as the Rupert Blue Shirts and the Edgewood Red Shirts). But these are minority groups of stakeholders. The best interest of the single largest stakeholder group was ignored again. That would be the taxpayers.

The Board had a historic opportunity to set the budget with no tax increase, which would have been the best thing for the residents of Pottstown as a whole. Instead, the Board and Administration caved to the minority groups of stakeholders, the teachers and the parents of some students. Again.

It's exactly this kind of continued disregarding of the harm free spending School Boards burden taxpayers with that has resulted in some very important legislation that was passed into law by the Republican run legislature and the Republican governor.

The new law prohibits School Boards from raining taxes 1 penny without a public referendum. That's right, the tax and spend days of our School Board are over unless the majority of voters in this town approve a tax increase. The only exceptions now are pension and special education costs. And any School Board would be foolish to falsely inflate (and defraud the taxpayers) those costs to avoid a referendum.

I have been screaming for years that it was too easy for School Board members to just cave to the teachers and band parents and say yes to tax increases that have now reached the point where no one is buying a house in Pottstown. No one wants to move into Pottstown and pay Collegeville taxes. This law should have been put into place years ago, but then again we had 8 years of taxing and spending from the previous administration.

All elected officials from the Governor on down to School Board members need to accept this stark reality-the well has run dry, and all governments spending addiction is killing our community.

Mine, Mine, Mine . . .

2011-07-06T07:48:00.001-04:00

"Mine, mine, mine . . ."

~ Seagulls, Finding Nemo

It appears as though Pottstown has a few gull flocks of our own hovering over a community elementary school, or two. If you listen closely when in the vicinity of some of our school buildings you can almost hear the familiar call of the seagull:

"Rupert - mine, Edgewood - mine, mine, mine, mine . . . "

The reality is, no one elementary school belongs just to those who live in close proximity to it, but rather to the entire Pottstown community. Rupert belongs to those living in downtown Pottstown just as much as it does to someone living in the East End; Franklin belongs to those living in the Bright Hope Community just as much as it does those living in the North End of town; Edgewood belongs to the neighbors of East 3rd Street as much as it does to those living in Rosedale.

Unless the Pottstown School District can find a way to have each taxpayer designate their school taxes to one particular elementary school - which is far from likely, if even possible - than each and every one of us who pays taxes to our district via property taxes shares ownership in each and every school building, do we not?

Clearly, this territorial mentality which Pottstown chooses to keep in a white-knuckled, hyper-grip has some deep roots - roots which only become stronger, deeper and further-reaching thanks to rampant homegrown politics and personal agendas. All of this leads to pondering over some of the town myths that have been dished out and gobbled up by the taxpayers over the years; myths riddled with hypocrisy which only continue to lead us squarely back to the same predicament time and time again - that of being a town paralyzed by indecisiveness and frozen by the fear of the unknown. These perplexing, confusing and stubborn notions somehow continue to be preserved by some community members, and Pottstown continues to pass on these Pottstown "Suburban Legends."

Pottstown "Suburban Legend" Chart:

1.) Hitting the top of the list has to be the legend of the Pottstown "neighborhood schools." We don't have neighborhood schools, we have schools in some neighborhoods. Period. As proof I can tell you that I live in a neighborhood with no school. All elementary-aged school children in our neighborhood are bused to Barth. There are children who live in the vicinity of Barth and get bused to Franklin, students who live in the vicinity of Edgewood that get bused to Rupert, etc., etc. for each "neighborhood school." No need to call in Myth Busters on that one.

2.) The legend of the Pottstown "walkable schools." Wouldn't that mean the majority of students are able to get to school without climbing onto a bus? Today, Lincoln seems to be the only school that has a decent number of students walking to and from it on a daily basis. That certainly cannot be said about Rupert. Enough said.

3.) Keeping five elementary schools is a "mandate from the voters." One has to start to wonder after all of these years of political road-blocking how much of the neighborhood school propaganda is being driven by a single, narrow-minded and - unquestionably - self-centered agenda which benefits one-fifth of our community (at best) far more than it does the town as a whole. How much of this "mandate" is being demanded by a true majority of taxpayers (many of which, sadly, do not or can not vote in the Primary Election which often determines who will be seated on our school board), and how much of this drama is being whipped-up by a scant sliver of our town's population?

The next obvious question really ought to be should the opinions of a mere fifth of a slice of Pottstown citizens - from one or two areas of town - really be the deciding factor which dictates the future of the entire community's elementary education? I would like to suggest that instead of continuing to focus on which building belongs to which neighborhood, Pottstown tries a new, healthier and more productive use of our energy and time and start to work together to take ownership of our ENTIRE community? Elected officials of Pottstown need to stop encouraging territorial behavior over buildings.

What is glaringly apparent is that the opportunity for our town to become more community-minded, rather than only neighborhood-minded, continually becomes paralyzed by this very false sense of ownership and the territorial-like emotion regarding school buildings that has somehow been perpetuated. It would no longer be surprising if we were to hear that people were taking turns peeing around some buildings in an effort to "mark" them as there own.

As a town, it's seems to be high time that we decide on, once and for all, what we want to be, and be perceived, as a community. Do we want to be a united community which takes a holistic approach to its future, or do we want to continue to be a town divided by out-dated, invisible barriers put in place generations ago, laden with all of the negative by-products which that option has, and continues to, afford us?

Leading isn't easy, and making tough decisions which promise change (even if it's positive change) is surely no way to solidify a winning spot in any popularity contest - this I know for sure. However, being a leader isn't about pleasing all of the people all of the time, it's about removing your own interests and replacing them with interests of the community at large; it's about having community-inspired vision.

I hope we see some new community leadership develop over the next few weeks; leadership that doesn't crack under pressure, leadership that considers ALL of the Pottstown citizens and the community as a whole.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

S.O.S.D.D. at The Mercury

2011-06-21T12:45:00.006-04:00

Another day, another Editor approved sad attempt at anonymous hateful trolling on the comment boards of The Mercury website.

This time, our gracious Mercury web hosts have allowed the name Nick Gerz to pass through. For someone whose job title is On-line Editor, you would think they would be up-to-speed on all the homonymous names used in the blogosphere to promote hate. Nick Gerz is on the Top 5 list of those names, as it is a name used to promote a racial slur. (Say it 3 times really fast and you'll get it.) This name is banned from most reputable sites that care about the product they produce, so it's not surprising that The Mercury has let it pass. The Mercury has shown, on numerous occasions, their bias and slant on issues that affect our local community.

Let's review some of the "rules" of posting at The Mercury:

1) Please post responsibly.
2) Be polite.
3) Don't hate.
5) Users who don't play by the rules will be blocked and won't be allowed to participate.
7) Comments are moderated.

In what context is allowing a highly known name that promotes hate considered posting responsibly? How is this polite? How is this not hate? Why isn't this user blocked from participating? Why are names and comments that promote hate and a lack of civility constantly allowed to get through if they are being moderated? Why doesn't The Mercury follow their own rules? Numerous email attempts to The Mercury Publisher, Editor and On-line Editor about these issues are never answered or the replies are condescending and belittling.

Enough is enough and it's time someone acted in the best interest of the community to bring civilized debate and discourse back to the table to solve the issues that plague this town. With the enforcement of their on-line posting rules, moving away from allowing anonymous comments, and a policy that limits paid advertorials from elected officials, The Mercury could play a pivotal role in healing what ails our fair town.

The F-Word...

2011-06-18T10:01:00.005-04:00

Well, it has been a stormy summer in Pottstown already! Problem is, it's not even summer. That's not the only problem in the Borough, though. Tensions are high, of late, over a great many things. People are not acting professionally when it is required most of all. If things don't change the storms are only going to continue to develop and wreak havoc on the tiny little town by the river.

We are all experiencing the F-word. F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-I-O-N (be honest, you thought I was gonna say something else!)

First, we don't all get our heart's desire. We know life isn't always fair. We can take out our frustrations on others, though it's not usually a game changer (it, sometimes, makes us feel better in the moment though). As I attempt to remind people that we all get 'carried away' (at times) to shed light on the storm that's brewing, I'd like to suggest we ALL take a step back and take a breath to regain perspective.

Pottstown needs help to revitalize. The schools needs a facelift. We don't have many resources to help get the job done, in either case. We are all FRUSTRATED with each other, the situation and lack of resources. So, what's a town to do?

By being emotionally charged or politically motivated we make choices out of FRUSTRATION to perpetuate some (any) kind of change. Change, growing out of FRUSTRATION usually leads to more FRUSTRATION and that leads to the 'real' F-word flying around like nobody's business. If we remain on this path the town and all stakeholders will suffer. Who really wants that?

Let's identify the problems, roadblocks and work for the best possible solutions. Let's stop claiming ideas and start sharing them, being mindful of the perception in presentation. Let's stop suggesting that my reason for having Pottstown's best interests at heart trumps yours. Let's begin to see that speaking with a unified voice presents a better image to people outside the Boro limits - hopefully, getting them to say, "Pottstown has got their act together!" We ALL look bad when we make platitudes and simply speak louder just to be the one voice you can pick out from the crowd. Let's stop all the finger-wagging and start shaking hands. Nothing has 'really' been solved in the recent past and it will continue on this way if we don't remove the F-word by making better choices and listening to others. Agree with differing points-of-view or not, sometimes you have to give a little to get a little.

Wanna know my new F-word if this could be accomplished? F-A-V-O-R-A-B-L-E (results)

Submitted by Stephanie Carmody

Your Input is Needed!

2011-06-15T11:20:00.001-04:00

Please take a few extra minutes to let your voice be heard about economic development in our local region by taking a quick survey. The Pottstown Metropolitan Regional Planning Committee (PMRPC) has just launched a market assessment and fiscal impact study for the local region.

In a nutshell, the purpose of the study is to answer the following question. How can the eight communities in the Pottstown Metropolitan Region work together to encourage economic development, create jobs, and stabilize the tax base?

All residents of Pottstown, Upper Pottsgrove, Lower Pottsgrove, West Pottsgrove, New Hanover, Douglass, North Coventry and East Coventry are encouraged to respond. Send this link to all your neighbors, family and friends in the area!

Take the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/pottstownsurvey

Toll 422? Really?

2011-06-10T10:12:00.004-04:00

This is a bad idea that just won't go away. Some folk's want to toll 422. The reason given is some mixture of raising more money for highways/infrastructure and a commuter rail line between Philadelphia and Reading (this idea has been around for decades). Most taxpayers don't want toll's on 422. Why not? What's wrong with paying more than $80 a month to sit in a miles long parking lot twice daily if you ride 422 to King of Prussia?

As soon as it rains 1 drop, or snows 1 flake, the road becomes a maximum 25 mph mess. Any accident (and there are many) can cause a huge backup in both directions. Don't forget the endless construction delays. I know I want to pay for that mess. NOT. Tolling 422 will not solve any of these daily nightmares. People will flood the already rush hour congested parallel roads. And the commuter rail line? Once built, do you think that it will be self sustaining with fares only? There is not a mass transit operation in the world that is self sustaining. They are all taxpayer subsidized. This will be the rail line that will never stop taking money from everyone's wallet.

I recently read that the average working class family is paying $168 a month more for gasoline than they were a year ago. Seems just like the right time to burden working class families with an $80+ a month tax to drive to work. Let's apply the logic of tolling 422 to other issues. Starting next year, only people who have kids in public schools have to pay school property taxes. In this town, that's about $12,000 a year. Police protection? If you want it, you have to pay a yearly fee. Don't want police protection? Don't pay. Hopefully the list of people not protected does not get leaked to the internet. Leaks never happen, we all know that. Should I keep going? Put coin slots on traffic signals. Want that green? Put more in the slot than the guy in the other lane. It's ludicrous to force people who want to drive 422 to have to pay to ride a road that has already been paid for years ago.

How about this? Issue bonds. Build the rail line. Add a 3d lane to 422. Make that 3d lane an "express" lane, with a higher speed limit. Add toll's to the 3d lane only. Use that toll money to help pay the bond's. The root of all our money problems is the severe spending addiction that all of our politicians have. If you tolled 422, that money would not go in a box marked "422 only". Every slimy politician in the state would want a piece of the pie for something in their district so they can buy votes to stay in power.

I know that everyone who reads this will have 100 reasons not to do what I just suggested. Fine. Guess what we also can't do? Toll 422.

An Important Update To The County Grant Mess

2011-06-09T14:14:00.005-04:00

We have further information on the County Revitalization program grant funds that Council applied for. Council prioritized their application this way:

1) Gallery On High

2) Skyline Lighting Project (Mrs. Mayors pet project)

3) Western Gateway.

An astute observer at the Council meeting last night reports that it was stated The Gallery is not going to receive the funds from the County Revitalization grant money because the County is not comfortable with some of the parameters of that project. What the County has done, is carved out $500,000 from the Revitalization money and used it to create a "Business Assistance Grant" program. The County has encouraged The Gallery to apply for this grant money instead, as it is a better fit with their project plan.

It was reported last night that the County has set aside $200,000 from the Revitalization funds for Pottstown but has not stated for which project. The County Revitalization committee turned the decision over to the Commissioner's office, rather than making the decision themselves. One can only speculate that decision was made based on the circus created thanks to our Mayor's actions.

It was also stated last night that the County staff recommendation was for the Skyline Lighting Project. However, some of the stipulations that would be attached with that project may make it somewhat unrealistic. That leaves the Western Gateway Project. Jason Bobst and Erica Weekley will be heading down to the County for a meeting soon where hopefully a consensus can be reached.

I emailed all 7 Councilor's and asked them if their position's were still the same, that the order that they voted on in March is still the will of the Council. I received this response from Council President Toroney:
"Mr. Leflar,

The decision of Council for the prioritized list for the Revitalization Grant stands as voted from our March 14th meeting and at this point no final decision has been made by the three Montgomery Commissioners as to what, if anything,will be funded. Thank you for your continued concern and involvement in Pottstown.

Stephen Toroney

Council President"

Councilman Rhoads and Councilman Gibson also responded that they still support the decision on priority made by Council on March 14th. I have not received responses back from the other Councilors yet.

Bottom line? The Gallery may see funds but from a different grant process and the Skyline project stipulations may be unacceptable. In the end, the Western Gateway and the Gallery may receive funds. In spite of the Mayor's alleged behind the scenes lobbying for hubbies project, she may come up empty. That would be the correct course of action. The Borough Council designated their priorities, and the Mayor has no right or legal grounds to undermine their will.

Just Another Joker In Pottstowns Deck Of Cards

2011-06-08T13:13:00.004-04:00

On May 6th we blogged about our esteemed Mayor Bonnie Heath storming out of a Borough Council Meeting simply due to her disagreement with a vote that Council took. We are still waiting for Council to take action over that event, something like a public reprimand of the Mayor.

The events that have taken place since the walkout incident should be of serious concern to all residents. Seems like the Mayor manipulated grant money from the County that Council voted to do something else with. The Mayor wants the money for her husbands pet project, the lighting of all the empty buildings downtown (There are a few occupied storefronts also).

Add in the Mayor not showing up for a welcoming ceremony recently (the Mayor's job is ceremonial after all, not legislative), and you probably come to the conclusion that this Mayor has gone rogue. Need I remind you that this Mayor wholeheartedly supported using money from the Boro's transportation fund for a fancy costume ball for the movers and shakers? Or that Mayor Heath also supported that low income housing project for the elderly on prime riverfront real estate?(Thank goodness that was turned down by the funding agency with some help from Code Blue) Someone needs to rein her in soon. If you looked at Pottstown's deck of cards, which card would be Mayor Heath's? You got it, the Joker.

Where Do We Go From Here?

2011-05-24T13:05:00.007-04:00

Submitted By Stephanie Carmody

Let's see, a variety of things have occurred in the last few weeks concerning the Pottstown School District. Related Arts funding was saved, primary elections took place, a public meeting was held regarding the Task Force and its progress AND the school board has reversed course on funding for Related Arts. What can we take away from all these actions? The see-saw ride in Pottstown continues and the left hand might not be certain what the right hand is doing. The indecision, inaction and inability of the largest taxing body in town is at the heart of it all.

While we support the school board in making tough choices and sympathize with the difficulty of all decisions in this economic climate, the perception of constant reversals takes focus away from the real issues that need to be addressed. Many people spoke to support the Arts, the school board agreed this was a priority and funding was restored to 100%. A not-so-timely closed door session changed that to 90% funding, depending on your perspective it's a positive or negative. Could be worse, the previous cut was deeper - 65%. Commit to a cut, in the open, or fund the program and cut elsewhere but put the information on the table - center stage. Where can money come from to fully fund Arts?

Here's a thought, for your consideration - what's going on with the contract negotiations? The largest chunk of the budget pays for SD staff. It would seem that having a precise number to work with could answer a great many questions about where the money is going to be allocated next year and what is the shortfall, if any. What was the last thing the public heard - health insurance is a stumbling block? It seems this issue is still at a stalemate and, more than any other issue, this needs to be resolved. While in negotiation details are not made publicthe public is entitled to information like - when is the next meeting scheduled; what are the issues of contention; is there a point where either the Federation or school board are going to be at an impasse; is there a deadline or timeline to ink a deal; AND when can we expect to put this behind us? For the good of the Borough and its residents, we need the most economical deal to be signed. To get off this see-saw, each side HAS to give a bit to bring balance we can all live with, right?

Left for the board to decide, the Task Force will present a (or multiple) recommendation(s) for a vision for town and school to move forward. Time will tell whether or not this effort provokes the board to be decisive and stick to the vote they take. Once again, this occurs during an election year and, if memory serves, might perpetuate a divided board and town. Here's hoping people around town can step outside their comfort zone and support change, of some kind - 'cuz what we've got right now is just not working, for many (especially from a funding perspective). As reported in the local paper, for whatever reason, only seven people made a choice to offer thoughts, in person, to the Task Force members at last night's meeting. Board, we implore you to not let another year of attempting to solve this issue go to waste. Based on last night’s meeting attendance and commentary, there is no clear choice or direction-but the time has come to 'stand and deliver'.

As far as elections go, we'll have to see how the issues come into play in November. As a parting thought we offer this sentiment - The choice is up to you; empower yourself and show, in numbers, that you care about the future of this community!!

THAT'S where we go from here.

MORE POWER TO THE POTTSTOWN PEOPLE!!!!

Comment Regarding Recent Election

2011-05-20T10:13:00.004-04:00

The eagerness to dismiss the recent electoral results, and Jeff's recent post and comments made regarding it, as simply pertaining to the number of school buildings we have in our town is unimaginable to me; it is also grossly incorrect.

Jeff wasn't talking about buildings, he was talking about people - and specifically one person who dedicated more time to the Pottstown School District and community during her time on school board than anyone else that I know, Michele Pargeon. Personally, I can't stand by and allow this argument to be swayed to being about buildings - it's time to call a spade a spade.

This discussion is about is a great mother, volunteer, and citizen losing their seat on school board because of a successful smear campaign against her - and personally I find that unnerving. The amount of political propaganda being shoved down the "average Joe's" throat in Pottstown (pun intended) makes it understandable how some may jump on that band-wagon; following the path of least resistance, the easiest and most comfortable thing to do for most people, allows many to nod in agreement and give into their primal instinct of "mob mentality." So, if what you believe is that Michele didn't get re-elected because of her stance on buildings, then I say that you are sadly mistaken. Michele didn't lose an election because educated voters understood the topics and didn't like her platform, she lost an election because of a strategic smear campaign waged against her from the moment she began to use her very, very capable brain to make her own decisions and votes for the school district; votes that were made without consulting with the person who helped here get elected the first time. I know this is the truth - I have been there, done that.

Code Blue has been on the receiving end of such smears, too. Honestly it's hard for me to even imagine the amount of energy and $$$ placed behind donning Code Blue and our friends with "anti-neighborhood schools," "new construction huggers," "haters" and "big-spenders" labels when there are so many people in our town that don't even have enough $ to get by day-to-day.

Voters are certainly not fools, nor has anyone on this blog insinuated such. Voters are super busy people who are overall pretty trusting of what they hear and read. We are people who need to be able to count on and rely on others to be honest and forthright with there words (spoken and/or printed) and actions. It is worrisome that in our society - our community - many seem to blindly accept smear campaigns as truths; it's sad that our community is not talking about how appalling these tactics are.

Most of all, it's sad that so many still want to keep talking about buildings rather than the people that are in them. That should be discerning to everyone.

SMEAR CAMPAIGN DEFINITION:

A smear campaign is an intentional, premeditated effort to undermine an individual's or group's reputation, credibility, and character. "Mud slinging", like negative campaigning, most often targets government officials, politicians, political candidates, and other public figures. However, private persons or groups may also become targets of smear campaigns perpetrated in schools, companies, institutions, families, and other social groups.

Smear tactics differ from normal discourse or debate in that they do not bear upon the issues or arguments in question. A smear is a simple attempt to malign a group or an individual and to attempt to undermine their credibility.

Smears often consist of ad hominem attacks in the form of unverifiable rumors and are often distortions, half-truths, or even outright lies; smear campaigns are often propagated by gossip spreading. Even when the facts behind a smear are shown to lack proper foundation, the tactic is often effective because the target's reputation is tarnished before the truth is known.

Smears are also effective in diverting attention away from the matter in question and onto the individual or group. The target of the smear is typically forced to defend his reputation rather than focus on the previous issue.

Smear tactics are considered by many to be a low, disingenuous form of discourse; they are nevertheless very common.

Power to the Pottstown PEOPLE!

A New Definition For The "H" Word??

2011-05-19T16:40:00.008-04:00

The online Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word hypocrite as a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs and feelings.

Surely as a Pottstown School Board Director and spouse of a retired Pottstown School District Teacher Tom Hylton would know the meaning of the word hypocrite.

Apparently not. On Hylton's Pottstown Citizens For Responsible Government website, on the welcome page, are the words: "We focus on idea's here, not personalities." However, in the past year, multiple advertorials paid for by Hylton have been printed in the Fishwrap that have attacked Amy Francis, Judy Zahora and Michele Pargeon personally. That effort intensified in the past few months during the run-up to the primary. Anyone who bought what Hylton was spewing would look at Francis, Zahora, and Pargeon and see big spending loose cannons who are intent on destroying Pottstown. And does anyone think that in the months ahead leading up to the general election that Hylton will have an open or frank discussion of the differences between his philosophy or those that oppose him? Don't bet the house on it. The only idea that Hylton will be focused on is finding and slinging fresh mud at candidates Zahora, Kefer, and Lydon.

Perhaps a new definition for hypocrite should be added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

Guess Who Were The Big Spenders Last Night?

2011-05-18T15:47:00.006-04:00

Tom Hylton spent quite a bit of money sending around glossy postcards categorizing Judy Zahora, Amy Francis and Michele Pargeon as "big spenders".

On Election night, several of the contenders (the "big spenders" as Mr. Hylton referred to them as) and a few friends had some good food and beverage's right here at an in town establishment, Frankie & Johnnies.

Wonder where Hylton and his cronies congregated? Cutillo's, outside of Pottstown and certainly pricier than Frankie and Johnnies. They couldn't even spend their money in town. Hypocrisy? Thats up for you to decide.

Michele Pargeon's Crime Was Recognizing Reality

2011-05-18T09:31:00.006-04:00

Incumbent School Board Director Michele Pargeon did not place in the top 5 vote getters in yesterdays primary election. That means that Ms. Pargeon's term will expire at the end of the year. This is a crime. Ms. Pargeon has been a dedicated School Board Director for 4 years.

What did Michele Pargeon do to deserve ouster from the School Board? The answer is simple-after being elected to the school board on the "Neighborhood Schools Team", Michele changed her position. Once on the School Board, Michele, seeing all of the data, realized that Pottstown's tax base can no longer sustain the 5 elementary school model. In changing her position, Michele opened herself for attack from those who continue to believe the folly that we should have 5 or more neighborhood schools. This foolish position continues to be led by Tom Hylton. Tom has been playing puppet master on this issue for a long time. He does not like helping to get people elected and then having them change their positions. I am sure that if I got a look at Tom Hylton's 2011 election strategy playbook Page 1 Item 1 would be to paint Michele Pargeon as a loose cannon, a turncoat, a big spender. Well it worked. And all of Pottstown will suffer from the loss of Michele Pargeon from the School Board.

Mr. Hylton, you have helped multiple candidates get elected on the platform of preserving 5 elementary schools who have changed their minds after seeing the truth. Why are you dogmatic when your single minded focus has damaged the community, taxpayers and children?

A Message Of Thanks From The Friends Of Pottstown Public Education

2011-05-16T15:24:00.002-04:00

Friends and neighbors - thank you for all your words of encouragement and support. We are overjoyed that so many of you can see above the vicious smear campaign waged against us. We have to laugh when we think about the cost incurred in such tactics, yet we're labeled the big spenders!

To learn how Amy Bathurst Francis, Andrew Kefer, Mary-Beth Lydon, Michele Pargeon, and Judy Zahora really intend to protect your hard-earned tax dollars and the public education of our community's children, please visit www.votefppe.org.

Knowledge = Power!

Please cast your vote on May 17th and, together, let's send a message that enough is enough!

Sincerely,

Amy, Andrew, Mary-Beth, Michele, and Judy

Friends of Pottstown Public Education Candidates

Mayor Walks Out of Voting Meeting

2011-05-13T12:50:00.000-04:00

On Monday, May 9th, Borough Council voted down a proposal to provide a financial guarantee to PDIDA. This post is not about that vote.

This post IS about the conduct of Mayor Bonnie Heath after the vote. The Mayor, unhappy about Council voting down the proposal, walked out of the meeting. Mayor Heath's husband, Mason Craig, also left, but evidently not before muttering something about the intelligence of Council.

Councilwoman Maureen Allen was absent from the meeting, so there were only 6 Councilmen present. Since the Mayor casts tie-breaking votes, once she left, any subsequent Council vote that ended in a tie would have required a tie-breaking vote by the Mayor. Fortunately, the Mayor was not needed to cast a vote.

Since Ms. Heath's election to the Mayor position, she has used the opportunity to be a strong voice at meetings towards issues that she supports. Mayor Heath has also used the opportunity at Council Meetings to criticize people or groups that do not agree with her. Keep in mind that the Mayor has no legal legislative authority, the Mayoral position is mostly ceremonial.

By walking out of the meeting after not getting her way, the Mayor jeopardized the rest of the voting agenda by not being available for any potential tie-breaking vote. Mayor Heath should publicly apologize for her actions and Borough Council should publicly reprimand the Mayor if they have the legal authority to.

Many folk's who voted for Mayor Heath are now having second thoughts about their vote. Perhaps a recall should be considered.

Blue Shirts Storm School Board Meeting

2011-05-06T12:34:00.006-04:00

This past Thursday night a large group of PSD teachers attended the School Board meeting. Many were wearing blue t-shirts that said "I make a difference daily" on the front and "AFT-A union of Professionals" on the back.

The Teachers were out in force to plead with the School Board not to cut programs and personnel from the budget, which has a massive $3 million hole in it. Before I continue on, let me state that I do believe that Teachers play an important role in society. I also believe that Public Unions are good as long as they are not bleeding the taxpayers dry.

I don't agree with Governor Corbett's cuts to the education subsidies and I certainly think the disparity of subsidies between school districts is outrageous.

But I also understand that these problem are not going to be fixed tomorrow or maybe even next year. What's in front of us is cold hard reality. There is a $3 million dollar hole in the budget. Pottstown already is 7th out of 501 districts in tax rates. Increased taxes should not be the response to this deficit, especially not in this economy.

The budget, at a basic level, consists of salaries and benefits (67%), programs (20%) and buildings (13%). It would seem that a good place to begin in reducing costs would be by reducing the category that is most costly to the whole of the budget. This is what the blue shirts (Teachers Union) seemingly don't understand or are unsympathetic to.

The district is bound to them by contract and that directly drives the funds needed to cover the major portion of the budget. The teachers have been working without a contract since the school year began. Why? Simply put, they do not want to sacrifice wages or benefits. This failure to come to an agreement that doesn't force the School Board raise taxes or cut programs is a huge part of the problem we face in the 2011-2012 budget. Their solution seems to be what most public unions suggest - raise local taxes. What about the taxpayer(s) that received no raise this year or, perhaps, last year? Well-to-do people are not exempt from the local tax strain, either. At times they are the targets of the Unions. An agreement must be reached and the status quo is no longer affordable.

The Pottstown Federation of Teachers wants all taxpayers in this town to do something they themselves won't do-sacrifice and do with less. Wages are flat. Costs are rising. Many of us are being pinched hard. The PFT doesn't seem to care. We can't just keep raising taxes to protect their jobs and salaries and benefits and pensions.

I have a suggestion, PFT. How about filling some of that gap in the budget with all of your membership making the same sacrifices that the private sector is?

Finally, a word of caution. The winds of change are blowing in Harrisburg. Charter schools are coming. Within a year or two a private company will come forward with a proposal to educate all of Pottstown's K-5 students, utilizing Pottstown's facilities and guaranteeing results and taxpayer savings. The PFT would be wise to be a part of the current solution to the budget deficit. A few years down the road when decisions on charter schools will be made, taxpayers will remember the blue shirts fighting to save their kingdoms at taxpayer expense, an expense that we can no longer afford. When or if the time comes, do you think we will fight for you or just accept potential savings? Work with us through the current difficulty and, perhaps, commitment to community will far outweigh savings.

Open Letter to Pottstown Voters from School Board Candidate Mary-Beth Lydon

2011-05-06T08:44:00.002-04:00

I am a candidate for the position of director of Pottstown School District’s Board of Education. I’m running for this seat because I believe that education is the most important tool we offer the children of Pottstown. In the current economic climate within Pennsylvania, and indeed across the country, it’s more important than ever that we call on the resources within our region to support Pottstown students The idea that government can and should finance education solely through the collection of taxes is quickly being put aside, as we face budget cuts, contract disputes, shrinking support for education from Harrisburg and an eroding tax base. We are considering sacrificing the arts and sports programs offered to our children. While these co-curricular activities are termed “non-essential”, the fact is that children perform better when as many aspects of their development are encouraged and fostered during childhood and adolescence as possible.

It is time to work collaboratively and in new areas to cultivate educational support for Pottstown’s students. We cannot ignore that homeowners are in crisis in our community; we all face living on paychecks that have flattened or been cut by our employers. Social Security saw no increase last year and there’s no indication that’s going to change in the near future. Relying on tax dollars and government subsidy alone is not a long-term plan for Pottstown schools. We need to develop partnerships with private industry to create a sustainable source of funding for our schools. While these are far-reaching, lofty goals, I’d like the chance to have four years to begin paving the path toward self-sufficiency for Pottstown’s schools. We didn’t find ourselves facing these obstacles in one day or even one year. It will take time to determine the right course for our schools. We have an opportunity to put into place plans and milestones that change the course of Pottstown schools, and the borough as a whole.

Another reason I’m asking for your vote on May 17th is that I’d like to see a cooperative, team-oriented school board working together on behalf of Pottstown schools. My background in community service, and in the corporate world, has given me teambuilding skills that are an asset in my professional and personal life. I believe in the value of each person, in making sure they’re heard in a respectful, open environment that welcomes diversity of opinion. I know there are dedicated, talented and innovative people and ideas we can draw on to build the best schools we can for our students. We are all examples to the children of Pottstown, whether or not we intend to be. It is my belief that through our actions on behalf of Pottstown’s students we help shape their lives and outcomes. On May 17th, I hope you’ll give me the chance to have a hand in shaping the future of Pottstown’s schools.

Please visit http://www.votefppe.org/ to get to know my fellow running mates Amy Francis, Andrew Kefer, Michele Pargeon, Judy Zahora and me, better. Contact us at info@votefppe.org.

Mary-Beth Bacallao Lydon

The Mercury Turns A Blind Eye Towards Important Information

2011-05-03T21:49:00.005-04:00

Recently SavePottstown ran an article bringing to light important information about one of Tom Hylton's hand picked School Board candidates. The article can be found here. I will not be discussing the particulars of that article or the candidate's misdeeds exposed by the article.

However, I will be discussing the news coverage by the Mercury. Or lack of it. To be blunt, the Mercury will not print this information due to their loyalty to Tom Hylton. The article was published at SavePottstown on April 22d, and not a word in the Mercury yet. The information published by SavePottstown is publicly available. Yet the Mercury is ignoring it.

These day's, it seems perfectly fine for the Mecury to print relentless sound off's and online comments attacking Code Blue in general and certain individuals personally. That fits the agenda. The agenda (probably unwritten) that Tom Hylton is the Messiah of Pottstown and anyone that opposes his policies is fair game for attacks.

Newsflash Mercury...Tom Hylton has done some good for this town, but a lot of folks would argue that he has done a lot more bad for this town. Years ago our elected officials bought into his plans. How did that work out? Do you like the back in parking on High St.? In the past year he was legislated out of his tree kingdom and dumped from the Planning Commission.

It is just ludicrous that the Mercury would not look into the information provided on SavePottstown and publish the information about this candidate. Unless you consider Tom Hylton's influence in that building. Or the thousands of dollars that he spends there annually publishing his infomercial nonsense.

The stone cold fact is that the Mercury is just Tom Hylton's public relations firm. And they may be his last protector. Our elected officials have gotten wise to his nonsense. The information about the School Board candidate published on SavePottstown clearly needs to get out to the people. It could really make a difference in a lot of voter's minds in the upcoming primary.

civ•il dis•course – noun

2011-05-02T14:43:00.004-04:00

1. An engagement in conversation intended to enhance understanding. Done well, it can drive to insight that is actionable in the context of furthering individual dignity and improving society.

Kenneth J. Gergen describes civil discourse as "the language of dispassionate objectivity", and suggests that it requires respect of the other participants, such as the reader. It neither diminishes the other's moral worth, nor questions their good judgment; it avoids hostility, direct antagonism, or excessive persuasion; it requires modesty and an appreciation for the other participant's experiences.[2]

In Book III of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690), John Locke contrasts between civil and philosophical discourse (or rhetorical discourse) with the former being for the benefit of the reader, and the public good:[3]

Anyone who holds an ounce of tolerance and compassion for their fellow man will know right away that civil discourse could not possibly be the goal of The Pottstown Mercury’s opinion blog; this lack of civility is easily illustrated by the hate-filled, ignorant published comments which are directed at the children of Pottstown and low income families. It is as equally appalling that a news organization, such as the Journal Register Company, would allow words with such undertones to be published; their choice to ignore what can easily be read between the lines in some of these comments offends our community, as a whole.

Here are a couple of comments currently found online at The Mercury:

Ern1976 wrote on May 1, 2011 2:56 PM:

" ... Kids in Lower Merion deserve a better school because they will amount to more than a kid in Pottstown or Norristown. A child in section 8 will never amount to anything, just like their parents, it's the truth and backed by statistics. Most of the people in low income areas just have kids to get larger welfare checks anyway.

wolfgang wrote on May 1, 2011 12:09 PM:

"…Instead of taking class trips to the zoo and museums, take the kids on a bus tour of the Main Line, Lower Merion and King of Prussia Plaza. You could call it the "It Sucks 2-B Poor Toor... "

As if this isn’t bad enough, The Mercury also continues to publish untrue accusations and malicious statements about some Pottstown community members; while JRC clearly says that such overt character assassination will not be tolerated in the JRC’s rules of service, they seem to be making some exceptions to this rule, in particular:

Services offered by Journal Register Company or any of its affiliated sites may include a variety of features, such as message boards, photo galleries, comments and other interactive features which will allow feedback to Journal Register Company and real-time interaction between users. These features are provided to give users an interesting and stimulating forum to express their opinions and share ideas and information. Journal Register Company cannot and does not monitor all of the material posted or transmitted by users and third party information providers.

It is a condition of your use of these Services that you generally exercise your best judgment and specifically do not:

* Post any material that is threatening, false, defamatory, misleading, fraudulent, unfair, and inaccurate, contains gross exaggeration or unsubstantiated claims, violates the privacy rights of any party, is unreasonably harmful or offensive to any individual, community, association, business or group.

In order for The Mercury to actually aid in the progress of the Pottstown community, perhaps they need to take a few tips from the following rules, as well:

http://www.civildiscourse.com/

Rules of Civil Discourse

Welcome to Civil Discourse, a respite from the silliness, noise and fury that typify so much modern debate - especially on the Internet. Our goal is to attract thoughtful people who will exercise their ideas and learn from others in stimulating, courteous, well written colloquies. This forum endorses no ideology or bias, save a love of civil and intelligent conversation. Here are some guidelines for those who would like to contribute.

1. We are looking for substantive entries instead of wisecracks, crafted arguments in place of breezy chatter. This is a meeting place of ideas, not personalities. Our editors delete inane and inappropriate postings, ensuring that readers won't have to wade through reams of filler in search of an interesting point. Posts may be deleted if they contain insults, attacks on a contributor instead of his ideas, obscenity, sloppy composition, or non-substantive prose.

2. Postings may be of any length, although most range from that of a typical letter to the editor to an op-ed newspaper piece. If your submission is 1,500 words and you are still composing, you might be squeezing multiple postings into one.

3. If your entry will be longer than a few paragraphs, you and your readers might be better served if you compose and edit offline on Word or a similar program, then cut-and-paste onto a new-conversation or reply template. This is a suggestion, not a requirement.

4. Readers who object to a post because of vocabulary or tone are not permitted to lodge their complaints in a subsequent post. Even if the offending post violates the rules of Civil Discourse, such responses are digressions from the topic, and they lead to the squabbling that CD tries scrupulously to avoid. Instead, readers with such complaints should click the Report button that appears at the bottom of each post and inform the site administrator of his concerns. Complainants who wish to receive a personal reply about how the matter was addressed should include their names in the report. If the reader is not satisfied with the resolution, he can activate the Ignore User tool found under the My Controls link atop every CD page.

5. The rules of Civil Discourse are loose and lenient by design. On rare occasions this leaves the site vulnerable to obnoxious posters who stop just short of insulting fellow contributors personally. Posts that bitterly attack the intelligence, integrity or patriotism of those who espouse different views violate the spirit of the site. Civil Discourse's purpose is as simple as its name. This is a safe harbor for thoughtful people who are tired of the barking that so often passes for debate in the media. We will not allow hostile contributors to subvert that aim and chase conscientious members away.

6. Please don't take from these guidelines the idea that Civil Discourse is staid or humorless. You will find plenty of irreverent, even wicked, wit in these pages - and lots of lively prose. What you will not find is the rushed, interruptive belligerence that now dominates the media. We like to think of this as an oasis from the clamor of modern life. There is plenty of room here for like-minded people. So invite your friends, and let's all get Civilized. [4]

References

1. Mark Kingwell (1995). A civil tongue: justice, dialogue, and the politics of pluralism. Penn State Press. p. 227. ISBN 0271013354.

2. Kenneth J. Gergen (2001). Social construction in context. pp. 71–5. ISBN 0761965459.

3. John Locke (1690). An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. ISBN 0140434828. http://www.mnstate.edu/gracyk/courses/web%20publishing/LockeBook3_9.htm.

4. Website, http://www.civildiscourse.com/.

Blight Bill goes into effect

2011-05-01T18:14:00.000-04:00

4/29/11 Press Release from the PA Housing Alliance:

Blight Bill goes into Effect Giving Communities most Powerful Tools Yet to Crack Down on Slum Properties

Act 90, the Neighborhood Blight Reclamation and Revitalization Act, signed last October, officially went into effect this week. The three major features of the Act allow municipal officials to:

• deny permits for one property if the owner's other properties are in trouble

• put liens against all of the owner's other assets to get delinquent bills paid

• extradite out-of-state owners, bringing them back to Pennsylvania to face sanctions here

Local groups are already seeing the potential of these powerful tools. According to the Reading Eagle, the city of Reading is looking for ways to put these new resources to work to fight blight there. Read the full story at the Reading Eagle. The Patriot-News also highlighted what municipalities must do to make the most of these powerful tools to fight blight, and that story is available here.

Act 90, among other anti-blight resources, is covered in the Housing Alliance's Quick Guide: New Tools to Address Blight and Abandonment, available for download here.

Talkin' Trash in Pottstown

2011-04-27T00:02:00.000-04:00

We applaud Jason Bobst, Borough Manager, for his efforts to add an ordinance that enforces trash pickup and littering fines. It's a shame that we find so little personal pride and sense of responsibility evident that we'd need government intervention to do the right thing, but let's face it: There is a trash issue to such an extent in Lesher Alley that I called the School District, the Borough and even pleaded with the YWCA to take ownership of the cleanup efforts there. My son attends pre-school at the Y, and using their Lesher Alley entrance means taking him and myself through garbage daily. What kind of example are we to the children of Pottstown if we can't show them how to respect their environment and embrace personal responsibility? Is that ecological responsibility?

I don't believe this is the only place where there's a trash issue. I've attended enough Council and Ward meetings to know that the discussion about refuse-be it the pickup, cost of, or efficient recycling of it-is a hot topic, long discussed and debated in both forums. Is this the biggest issue facing Pottstown? Hardly. But it is a symptom of a larger ill: perception is, or becomes, reality. If the first thing we see in our alleys, stuck in our fences and hedges, is trash-what does that say about how we view our homes, our neighborhoods, and our town? Never one to deny that we need industry, jobs, and a bigger draw from the surrounding communities to make us thrive again, can we ignore that debris-clogged gutters, empty food packages and bags blowing down our streets, is a welcome sign to visitors, potential investors or those thinking of moving in to Pottstown?

Businesses will not invest in a town that doesn't have a clean appearance, that doesn't care what it looks like. It certainly doesn't invite one in to discover what opportunities lie in store if one sticks around. Successful towns around us like Downingtown, West Chester, and Media-similar if not in land mass, then in population-showcase clean, bright streets and welcoming main thoroughfares. They shout they're proud of their hometown, and want you to come and stay!

Investment property owners need to treat their properties as they would their own residences-you owe it to your tenants and your investment will reap the reward of tenants who care about the outside of the place they call home. Unkempt properties lower all our homes' values, period.

The fact is, the borough cannot and should not shoulder the responsibility to keep Pottstown clean alone. We clearly cannot count on currently seated local judges to assist us in enforcing these quality of life ordinances. We live, work and play here. We make the trash or bring it in on our way through. Do your fair share, and the ordinance won't be a moneymaker or take much to be enforced anyway.

If you want to begin to make a change in the face of Pottstown, join us this Saturday, April 30 for Community Clean Up Day, from 8 AM to Noon. Dumpsters will be available at Empire Fire Company, Franklin and Chestnut Streets, and Borough Hall. Just pick up the trash in your neighborhoods and bring it to either site by noon. To find out more, please give Codes Officer Bill Sharon a call at 610-970-6507. Hope to see you there!

Teri Jensen-Sellers and

Mary-Beth Bacallao Lydon

Anonymity Is Killing Pottstown

2011-04-23T13:02:00.002-04:00

I’m not going to tell you who I am until the end of my rant because I want to prove a point to you. Knowing who I am — who the author is — matters. Yet, in our age of electronic media, this crucial fact is vanishing from much of the information we consume.

For you the reader, knowing who I am helps you decide both if you want to spend your time reading what I have to say and whether you think I know what I’m talking about. Credibility matters.

For me as the writer, connecting my name with what I say holds me accountable. I’ll think hard about what I write and consider whether my words are ones that I want to be connected with when I walk down High St., attend a local government meeting or push my cart around the grocery store.

Changes in both media landscape and media law have brought with them a new era of anonymous discourse, evident on news sites across the country, but particularly right in our own backyard. This anonymous discourse is, and has been, killing our community, and arguably our democracy, for some time now.

By allowing anonymity to become such an acceptable and common practice, I fear we have unintentionally let changes in technology lower our ethical standards. Let's strive for the return to a higher standard.

Here’s what I propose: If you want to say it, put your name next to it. That’s it. It really is that simple.

Nationwide, news organizations, social networking sites and other community web sites are allowing anonymous comments, including this very site.

One reason for the change is that the laws are different for the Internet. Newspapers have historically required people who write letters to the editor, for publishing in the paper, to identify themselves both when they submit a letter and when that letter is published. Editorial page editors receive the letters, review and edit them and sometimes even contact the letter writer to confirm that they are, in fact, the one who wrote the letter.

They do this at least in part because laws regarding defamation state very clearly that if a letter published in a paper is defamatory, it isn’t just the letter writer who can be named in that lawsuit. The newspaper, too, can be held liable.

With the Internet, however, a federal regulation found in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act lets news organizations off the hook. The regulation frees web sites from being responsible for comments posted on their sites. If they want to, newspapers can open the door and allow the anonymous commenters to post away. Obscenity? Defamation? Hate speech? Just plain old bad taste? Go for it!

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the anonymous person is safe. In case after case, courts around the nation are demanding that news organizations and social networking sites release the identities of people who thought they were protected from being held accountable for their comments.

Of course, history does show some support for anonymity. The Federalist Papers, which laid the groundwork for our country’s constitution, were written by Founding Fathers John Jay, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton. The authors hid their identity using the pseudonym “Publius.” Their 85 articles were printed in newspapers around the nation.

Today, many newspapers allow anonymous comments to be put into print, like The Mercury Sound-Off section, and many news organization web sites allow anonymous comments to be posted and unmoderated. Anonymous comments are a popular section in terms of readership. More readers, of course, means more revenue.

Still, I’m not convinced.

First, I don’t think news organizations can justify allowing anonymity simply because others are doing it. Peer pressure is usually a pretty weak excuse for an ethical lapse.

Second, you could argue there is an ethical lapse in journalism standards with allowing the on-line equivalent of a schoolyard brawl for the purpose of higher profits. Leave this business model for TMZ, not true news organizations reporting on important community issues.

Third, what I’ve seen in most comments sections hardly looks like healthy discussion of important community issues. Instead, it’s dominated by mean-spirited, divisive and cowardly rants published by people who would not, you hope, want their names connected to some of these ideas.

By instituting and enforcing safeguards such as allowing other readers to flag inappropriate comments, requiring people to register using their real identity and sign a user agreement and by kicking out those who break the rules, news organizations and other web sites can do a lot to encourage the good discussion and weed out “trolls.” The Mercury, plain and simple, needs much improvement in this area.

Since The Mercury is the leading, trusted news organization in the Pottstown area, they should be the champion for open and level discussion by ending anonymity. Sadly, The Mercury publisher and editors don’t all feel this way. And their reluctance to become good stewards to civil debate is killing people, ideas and progress in this town.

I propose that if you want to speak in public, you should be courageous enough to stand by your words. It would not be that difficult for The Mercury to include this rule in their user agreement and for any comments made to automatically include the identity of the person who wrote them.

The discussion still happens; you just know who you’re having it with. We have these discussions face-to-face all the time when we run into each other on the street, in a store, after a meeting or even on the telephone. Why can’t we have these same discussions together on-line?

A common topic in many law and ethics classes is the difference between what the law allows us to do and what our ethics dictate that we should do. I say let’s raise our own community standard well above the minimum requirements set by law.

It may be the only thing that moves progress forward in this town.

We can start this experiment right now. I’ll even go first.

Hi, I’m Chris Huff. What’s your name?

Come Clean...

2011-04-19T23:23:00.000-04:00

Be honest. Tell me what you don't like about yourself. Are you listening?

When we blog about things we expect to get a variety of opinions. You can't please all of the people all of the time. Disagreement often causes heated debate. Sometimes we say things we don't mean.

However, there are some people that say things that are untrue or mean-spirited to attempt to make their point. People continue to seek out certain dialogue to make their points, whether they are on or off-topic - this is called trolling. Lately we see many commenter's injecting themselves into a dialogue or debate just to be heard.

Conversations and exchanges are getting twisted to get back to personal attacks, seemingly out of the blue. Why seek out any opportunity to tell others what you don't like about them, especially when the conversation is about something entirely different? Taking every possible opportunity to bend conversation to favor your opinion is bullying. The feelings you express might be honest and heart-felt but do you really need to proliferate cyber space in search of the perfect insult? No.

Have your opinions, express your thoughts when they are relevant to the topic - free speech and all! Sometimes, think about why you say what you say and ponder whether you mean what you say or if you are saying it just to be said. Are you trolling? Are you bullying? Are you telling the truth about the 'inner you'? Do you listen to yourself? Perception is everything. Did you hear that, perception is everything.

If I think you are a bully or not playing fair chances are someone else might think that, too. Enough dirty pool - come clean! I think we could all use a rinse cycle every so often. Now, look in the mirror and tell me what you see...

Welcome To The Neighborhood-Not!!!

2011-04-18T12:47:00.012-04:00

In the past 7 or 8 months a new investor has landed in town. Daufuskie Partners LLC is a private company. There is no one listed on the Pa Corporation search site as the owner. However, if you do a search on the Montgomery County Property DB for the corporate address listed on the state site, 2438 Butler Pike, Plymouth Meeting, the owner of the property is John McCune and Tang Le, and the property is a single family home. However, the Montgomery County Property DB also lists 108 Elk Ct as an address for Daufuskie. 108 Elk Ct is a single family dwelling owned by Erin Kingsbury and Nathan Jones. Erin Kingsbury sold 2438 Butler Pike to John McCune. One can assume that Daufuskie is owned by any combination of McCune, Le, Kingsbury, or Jones. By the way, Kingsbury and Jones paid $650,000 for their new home in Blue Bell last October.

That's about the time that Daufuskie started buying blighted properties in Pottstown. They made settlement 11/29/10 on the following properties (the selling price is also listed):

18 Chestnut St. $4,500

403 Chestnut St. $3,000

75 N Franklin St. $3,850

117 S Washington St. $3,850.

403 Chestnut St. is a fire damaged house that has been designated to be blighted by the Boro, along with 117 S Washington St.

Daufuskie has no intention of doing anything with these properties except to try and sell them quick to make a few bucks. You can find these properties listed for sale at Trulia.com. The details of these properties indicate that Daufuskie has never even visited or looked at these properties, are for sale as-is, and the buyer is responsible for obtaining the U & O permit, which means that Daufuskie will not do any work. They are trying to sell these for thousands more than what they paid for them.

Code Blue has filed a Right To Know request with the Boro. We seek to find out if any of these properties have unpaid water/sewer fees, unpaid property taxes, been issued any new Code violations, or if Daufuskie has submitted building permit applications. We are looking to verify what we suspect is true-Daufuskie just buy's distressed properties for pennies on the dollar and looks to turn them around quick. We understand that it is not illegal to do this, we live in a free market society. But here are our concerns:

1) Does the Boro know that Daufuskie now own's these properties?

2) If so, is the Codes Dept. putting pressure on Daufuskie to bring the properties up to code and address the violations that have been in place for a while now?

3) Once a property changes hands, does the new owner get a whole new start on the process of violations?

4) Will the Boro aggressively pursue remedies for these (and other problem properties) using the tools provided in the new Blighted legislation which will become law very soon?

We will be pursuing this issue and putting pressure on the Boro to bring these properties back to life with every legal means at their disposal. We would like very much to discourage Daufuskie and other's like them from doing their damage in Pottstown. We will keep you posted.

After The Budget Issue Is Resolved, The Task Force/Tom Hylton Issue Still Remains

2011-04-16T12:21:00.000-04:00

The recent School Board meeting had a large audience of people coming out to support extra curricular programs that may be on the chopping block due to a potentially massive deficit of $3.1 million.

While we believe that this is a huge complex issue, it is a short term issue. Short term in that this is this years budget. When the tough work is over in a few weeks, and a budget is finalized, the crowds will disappear.

Code Blue was not in attendance Thursday might. There was a First Suburbs meeting, and a lot of the Code Blue folk's attended that . But we have not forgotten the major long term issue of this town, the elementary school issue and the President's Task Force. Recently we asked the School Board to remove Director Hylton. We feel that Mr. Hylton has tried again and again to influence the final outcome of the Task Force. The last straw was the 32 page supplement that Director Hylton paid for in the Mercury. If that wasn't bad enough, Director Hylton hand delivered copies of the supplement to the homes of at least a few Task Force members. This is an outrage.

This is something akin to tampering with a jury. We all needed the work of the Task Force to be as pure as possible, with no tampering. Director Hylton along with all other Directors were told not to talk to the Task Force members. Over the course of the past year, all Directors complied except one. Director Hylton.

Is it now possible that the Task Force can come to a conclusion without considering Director Hylton's plan? Probably not. Folk's may not be aware, but this is the same plan that the SB voted down a year ago. Why? A poll was conducted of parents of potential 5th graders that would be moved to the PMS. Overwhelmingly, this notion was rejected. Additionally, these plans were going to cost far more than the "about $15 million" that was printed in the supplement. The additional costs would be millions more. You didn't see that in the supplement.

The wild card in all this is the charter school issue. A private company has approached Pottstown. There is a bill working it's way through the PA Legislature that would make it possible for a private company to educate public school kids. This company has suggested that if the bill becomes law (A very strong possibility) they would propose to take over the education of ALL of Pottstown's K-5 students. They also said that they would take over the schools and renovate them at their cost. Finally, they would guarantee academic achievement standards would be met and that it would cost taxpayers less that what we pay now.

Based on this, and the fact that we feel that Director Hylton has tampered with the Task Force, it looks like the Task Force may have become irrelevant. Perhaps their work should be tabled for now.

Regardless, we stand by our call for Director Hylton to be removed. We have taken a vicious beating for this position in the Mercury online through the Sound off and online comments, which is completely wrong on the Mercury's part to allow. We do not engage in character assassination, we merely object publicly to wrong doing by our elected officials and engage in discussion about ideas that we may or may not agree with. Although they would disagree, for years the Mercury has been biased in favor of Mr. Hylton and his ideas. We know the reason for this, they have a long history together. But the Mercury's owner, the Journal Register Company, needs to recognize that the Mercury is no longer the sole source of information in this town, and that newspapers as a viable media are fading. The Mercury would be well advised to prevent vicious one sided attacks against people who disagree with Mr. Hylton. One would think that as a fading media outlet the Mercury would do their best to present all opinions in order to appeal to the largest market available instead of selling their editorial souls to Tom Hylton.

Another Anonymous Hate Filled Letter Received!

2011-04-12T19:16:00.000-04:00

Very recently Councilman Rhoads received another vitriol filled anonymous letter in the mail. The letter attacks unnamed members of Code Blue, unions, ex Boro employees, people who love President Obama, etc. You get the idea.

The letter is hilarious and sad at the same time. Some of the allegations in the letter are laughable. What is sad is that most people in this town sit in their homes and do not get involved with what goes on in their town and School District. There are many valid reasons for folk's not getting involved, but there is more than a little apathy. Or perhaps they are afraid to get involved. If they do, and they disagree publicly with certain people's ideas, they may receive anonymous threats and letters in the mail, get carpet-bombed with online comments and Sound Off's printed in the Mercury, such as what Code Blue has been subjected to.

Code Blue members publicly put their name's out there. On the blog's, on the Mercury, at the meetings. These anonymous letter writers and carpet-bombers will not get out from behind their keyboards and publicly discuss the issues facing their town, they just hide and throw mud.

We have been viciously attacked for more than a year now. Instead of discussing the issues, we are targeted for harassment and anonymous slander, probably by no more than a handful of people.

Guess what? We are not going away. We have not backed down from speaking the truth and wanting what's best for our town for more than a year and we don't intend to now. Enjoy the letter.

Telling It Like It Is!

2011-04-02T09:08:00.001-04:00

The following is Jeff Leflar's 3/31/11 comment on behalf of Code Blue to the Pottstown School Board at their meeting of the whole:

Since Director Hylton was elected, multiple attempts have been made by him to undermine the will of this school board.

First, the neighborhood schools committee attempted to ramrod through millions of dollars in new spending on historically accurate windows and geothermal heating/cooling for all five schools, bypassing what was obviously a facilities function.

Multiple times last year this Board rejected the same ideas that Director Hylton continues to push through his private public relations firm, the Mercury. These same plans still have the same flaws a year later.

And since the formation of the task force, it seems like Director Hylton has manipulated and interfered with the work of the task force to influence the outcome. my understanding was that recently director Hylton requested the phone numbers of the task force members. For what purpose?

Director Hylton now seems to be engaged in an effort to lobby the voters through his pr firm the mercury to vote for candidates that will ignore the findings of the task force and approve one of the flawed plans previously voted down by this board.

This seemingly endless effort to undermine the task force can be summed up with two words-improper conduct.

Let me read from the school laws of Pennsylvania:

Section 406. The board of school directors in any school district in this Commonwealth, except as herein and employees, otherwise provided, shall after due notice, giving the reasons therefor, and after hearing if demanded, have the right at any time to remove any of its officers, employees, or appointees for incompetency, intemperance, neglect of duty, violation of any of the school laws of this Commonwealth or other improper conduct.

Code Blue is here tonight to call on this board to enforce section 406 of the school laws of Pennsylvania and, with a simple majority vote, remove director Hylton for improper conduct - specifically undermining the will, work of the task force appointed by President Huss.

Hard Work Down the Drain?! NEVER!

2011-03-31T13:24:00.001-04:00

Almost a year ago to the day, Pottstown School Board President Rick Huss appointed a group of around 40 citizens to the President's Task Force. The purpose of the Task Force was to allow a cross-section of our community to have relevant facts and figures available to listen, research, provide ideas and debate a solution to the problems facing our elementary school system. Their mission is to put an option on the table for the School Board to consider and vote on our elementary school problems which include antiquated mechanical systems, structural deficiencies, outdated space configurations and too many buildings.

This isn't a new problem, it's one that has been discussed numerous times over the last 15 years. And every time it comes up, the process is always derailed. This time is no different. Many people were upset to see the paid advertisement supplement in Wednesday's Mercury. A paid advertisement written by the Chief Derailer of all things positive in Pottstown. How will Pottstown ever solve this issue (one of the biggest issues affecting our progress as a town) if we continue to allow this to happen time after time after time? How can we allow a single individual to steer the entire school district or borough? Do we really have so little faith in our collective abilities as a community? At what point is enough, enough? Code Blue calls on every elected representative in our Burgess to speak up and condemn these actions that hurt us all.

One of our very own Code Blue members is a part of the President's Task Force. She is an active part of the hard work, due diligence and civil cooperation that this group has shown over the last year in working through a ton of facts and data. She is also painfully aware of the damage that is now done after yet another attempt to circumvent proper process and procedure. We share her thoughts with our readers below. We also urge the other hard working, dedicated Task Force members to keep their chins up, stay the course and don't be influenced by outside sources trying to feed you half-truths and misinformation. We here sincerely appreciate the time and effort you have put in to the last year. Keep up the good work of moving Pottstown forward!

Comments by Steph Carmody, Task Force member:

"I believe this is a slap in the face to the work that we set out to do. I believe these tactics are disruptive to the process, currently in progress, and a direct violation of the charge the SB members were given (by Pres. Huss) to not interfere since the recommendation would land back in their lap for further debate at the end of the process.

As a member of the Task Force, I am insulted by the fact that Mr. Hylton has such little faith in the information that we have been provided that he felt some need(?) to spend, what I can only presume to be a ‘fair’ sum of money, on a supplement to the local paper. I don’t notice ANY other member of the School Board going to such lengths to be heard, at this point in the process. I must ask WHY?

This behavior seems strange and suspect to me. This process has not ended and we are being made to believe ANY of the ideas we want to freely debate aren’t valid?

Mostly, I am disappointed at the lack of vision for the future of the community and a willingness to HEAR other people. A pledge might well be a promise but sometimes promises get broken for the RIGHT reasons, as many parents would attest to. A pledge is not a clear mandate to act, no matter the cost or consequence.

I sincerely hope this doesn’t taint the process. I challenge the other School Board members to express their thoughts on this ‘way’ and cost of having their opinions heard. I ask Council members to weigh in on recent events.

I came out with honest intentions to examine facts and debate, openly and freely, about potential solutions to maximize resources and help create a recommendation that would help, finally, put this matter to rest – no matter the consensus of the group, putting personal opinion aside. I came into this process to listen and consider, not be led down a path. Mostly, I had hoped to see a goal set and then turned over to the School Board, Administration and staff to figure out how to get there.

Change is never easy, no matter which path you choose."

Thank you Mrs. Carmody. Let's hope other Task Force members, elected officials and Pottstown residents speak up as well!

Rooms For Rent At Borough Hall?

2011-02-24T12:17:00.006-05:00

I recently discovered on the Borough's website that Councilor Maureen Allen lists her address as 100 E High St. This is Borough Hall's address. I am sure that Councilor Allen does not live in Borough Hall. This raises some serious questions.

Why would a Councilor list their address as Borough Hall? Ms. Allen is obligated to reside in the ward that she serves. How can her constituents not question the legitimacy of Ms. Allen's legal authority to serve as their Borough Council Representative based on that publicized address?

Why do the Borough Council President and the Borough Manager allow Ms. Allen to display the Borough Hall address as her residence? Is there a legitimate reason for doing this? Is this how she can best be contacted by the residents in her ward?

Code Blue submitted a Right To Know Request to find out if Ms. Allen actually resides in Borough Hall. We found out that Ms. Allen resides at 148 Gable St., within the ward that she serves.

How can we ever expect total transparency from our elected officials and the folks we hire to run our government if it is acceptable policy to shield a minor detail such as a legal address from the public? We ask that those elected and in charge be forthright with pertinent information to establish trust by allowing communication to be direct.

School Board Fails To Get Tough With Delinquent Taxpayers

2011-02-24T07:46:00.005-05:00

Code Blue recently obtained, through a Right To Know request, the list of outstanding school taxes for the years 2009 and back. Much to our dismay, according to Portnoff Associates, the total amount of back taxes (just the principle, not including penalties) as of 12/31/10 was $1,461,990.80.

Here we go again. The School Board faces a deficit in this year's budget of more than a million dollars. Our elected School Board members recently voted to authorize Mrs. Linda Adams, the SD Business manager, to seek "exceptions" from the state mandated 1.9% cap that the SD can raise taxes.

(We are told that the SD has no intention of raising taxes more than the cap. While we hope that to be the case, we are not holding our breath. Back to the unpaid taxes.)

Last year Code Blue raised the issue of unpaid taxes with the School Board, urging the SB to change the policy on unpaid taxes and force property owners who are delinquent on taxes to pay up or lose their properties. It was pointed out to the SB that the biggest offenders were landlords. The SB supposedly changed their policy in June or July to aggressively pursue tax delinquent property owners. The result should have been more sheriff sale actions, or so one would assume. Let's look at some facts.

For 2010, the Pottstown School Board was listed as the plaintiff in the following sheriff sales:

January 117 S Washington St - SOLD

January 208 Gable Ave - STILL ACTIVE

March 384 High St - STAYED

March 18 Chestnut St - SOLD

June 617 N Evans St - STAYED

June 92 Cedar St - STAYED

June 310 York St - STILL ACTIVE

October 566 Walnut St - STILL ACTIVE

The School District forced only 8 properties to sheriff sale in 2010. There are more than 50 properties on the delinquent list for years prior and including 2009.

One can only conclude that there has been virtually no effort to force property owners to sheriff sale to establish a hard line and demonstrate that delinquency will not be tolerated. So here we are again, another year, another tax increase looming. The question must be asked once again by concerned citizens: Why is there money owed to the SD that is not being aggressively pursued, especially when it exceeds one million dollars? Elected officials need to have the courage to stand up for the majority (faithful taxpayers)! It is a vicious cycle of faithful taxpayers making up for the shortages in tax revenue through increase after increase. We must say, in one voice, taxes will be paid or suffer the consequences.

Power to the Pottstown People!

Now More Than Ever, High Quality Candidates Are Needed In Pottstown

2011-02-22T14:22:00.005-05:00

Pottstown needs insightful candidates, perhaps now more than any other time in history. Voters can't make good decisions if they don't have good candidates to choose from. At times it seems like a choice between the lesser of two (or more) evils in the election booth. Yet elected officials that can see the big picture - life beyond what we all know it to be right now - are critical to advance Pottstown.

Pottstown needs people with critical thinking skills who possess a natural curiosity to look at ideas outside their area of expertise. When presented with information, they understand that statistics can be bent to serve any argument, for or against any given issue. To decide on a course, the critical thinker seeks to achieve a better understanding of an issue by carefully weighing all data provided, seeking additional clarity by asking questions and/or by doing their own research.

The actions that our elected officials take in the next few years WILL determine whether or not Pottstown can recover and turn things around. We could conclude that some of the actions of some people involved in local government over the last few decades have, in fact, contributed to our current situation and some even to our detriment. As pointed out on other local blogs, the downward spiral in Pottstown has occurred over the last 30 years, which is also right about the time Mr. Hylton began his involvement in the Pottstown community. While we can't blame him for single-handedly for bringing the house down, we can note the interesting timing and wonder if there is any correlation worth examining.

It is true that many people are afraid to get involved in politics - there can be a rough-and-tumble element about it, at times. Perhaps this is made worse by "the relentless negativity and malicious personal attacks by bloggers on the Internet." Maybe, it is made worse by those that would write opinion pieces which vilify others' actions or intentions without actually naming names or making specific allegations that would need to be backed up. Or, is it sometimes the most cowardly sort of malicious behavior being practiced by some local politicians in an effort to manipulate the outcome of a particular election - the mailing of anonymous letters to people of good will, those with the critical thinking skills we desire and need in our elected officials - that has kept good people from acting on their desire to become a public servant? AS pathetic and shameless as this sort of bullying is, it is certainly practiced with one clear (seemingly terroristic) intention in mind - to intimidate and deter certain people from throwing their hat into our local political ring. It goes without saying that if they are sufficiently discouraged to run, thanks to such cowardly scare-tactics, and decide that winning an election is simply not worth putting up with such bullying and harassment (for which no one would blame them) they have successfully been stopped from contributing to our community, and perhaps even initiating some long overdue positive changes for our town. We have been told that this type of thing has happened in the past in Pottstown politics... and now we ask, is this rough-and-tumble or simply malicious?

A potential candidate can choose not to read internet blogs or newspapers, they can ignore harsh words and gossip, but what of anonymous mail that comes directly to their home? Is that a kinder form of malice because it is private? Is that an acceptable tactic in local elections, or any election for that matter? Let us suppose such a letter, attempting to denigrate a person and/or threatening to embarrass family members would succeed in discouraging a person to get involved in local politics. Who suffers then? Obvious answer: the potential candidate, the unknowing voters and the Pottstown community, as a whole. Such practices certainly would lessen the choices a voter has on election day. Such a cowardly act certainly suggests an attempt to "manage the pool of candidates" - further undermining the voters' rights. Potential candidates should not be devalued, demeaned or harassed in this way, but instead they should be applauded for their willingness to become active in their community. It is time, as a community, that we start to "smoke out" those among us who choose to turn to such unacceptable behavior and hold them accountable for it, as they are ultimately hindering each and every citizen in their attempt to try to stack their political deck.

In summary, we need people with solid ethics and values to run for local offices who have the best intentions for the whole community and also bear a thick-skin, but they shouldn't need a suit of armor. We need people that will be thoughtful and thorough in examining data and issues to succeed in making the best possible decisions for our community, while committing to having an open mind when others present opinions that differ from their own. Leaders must begin to publicly reevaluate past and current decisions which are affecting our community so that we can begin to understand if they are free from "policy by personality" and based on solid facts alone. As the Fellowship of Pottstown, we must start to appreciate that those willing to take on these challenges on our behalf are to be valued by us. However, they can't be expected to do it alone; to make our democracy work as intended, it is our duty to be involved and seek good and fair representation from them, as well.

Power to the Pottstown People!

You've Lost That Loving Feeling...

2011-02-18T19:45:00.007-05:00

Dear God,

I pray for "the haters" who just won't seem to go away - no matter how hard I try to put them back into their proper place. Please stop them from having an opinion different from mine about the practices of our town's public officials and how they might affect them and their fellow citizens. Please allow us to continue with "business as usual" by silencing these "haters" about the inequities delivered to them by those they have voted into office... and their belief that the tax payers deserve more transparency from the local government... and their desire for better communications between local officials and their constituents... and their notions regarding political accountability and fiscal sustainability. Actually, since I'm asking God, can we just add to the "Don't Talk About Openly in Pottstown" list any public matter over which a debate might ensue? I think that would suit me the very best.

And God, I pray that "haters and huggers" alike will someday understand that when elected officials take to name-calling - targeting one person, or group of people, with opposing views - it becomes what some experts in the name-calling business refer to as the "double-negative," actually turning the attempt to suppress, belittle, degrade, or muffle the said "haters' " voice and message into a positive and acceptable form of public expression for some "leaders" in town to utilize. (After all, it is only meant to help guide those who have strayed off of the "Life With Your Blinders On Path" back to the yellow brick road.)

Through the grace of God, may those who disagree be quieted, allowing all "haters" to be reformed into "ask-no-questions huggers," now and forevermore.

Amen.

Power Clap!

2011-02-18T08:40:00.002-05:00

As many of you might already know Mr. Andrew Kefer was appointed to the Pottstown Planning Commission at Council last night. I applaud Council for continuing to bring new faces to the decision making process. It is vital to have energetic and committed people involved in local government.

There is no salary for many of the positions in local government. These people serve at the will of the people and, I hope, because they have ideas and energy that will benefit the town and taxpayers. These 'jobs' are sometimes thankless and require many long hours. I applaud the people that were willing to give of themselves and sacrifice time with their family and friends for the betterment of Pottstown. I hope that more people will give time to support these efforts and remember to thank Council members and various committee, commission and authority members for their time (whether you agree with them on issues or not).

While I do not know Andrew well, I have been impressed with how he spends time examining other regions and their successes and failures to benefit Pottstown. He wants the best for his family and is willing to do the 'dirty work' to create a stronger, brighter and more vital Pottstown to benefit all. He is very approachable and easy to talk to and, I trust, will become a valued member of the PPC. I wish him the best and hope that people will embrace him as he 'learns the ropes'. In other words, I think this is a win for Pottstown!

CONGRATULATIONS, Andrew!!!

Submitted by Steph Carmody

You're Invited: Citizen Participation Meeting

2011-02-05T23:28:00.000-05:00

From the Pottstown Borough website:

The Montgomery County Department of Housing and Community Development invites local citizens to attend a Citizen Participation Meeting to be held Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 at 6:00 p.m., at the Montgomery County Community College, West Campus, 101 College Drive, (Conference Room 221), South Hall, Pottstown, PA. The meeting will allow citizens a time to present and discuss projects for which your municipality may apply for in the FY 2011 Community Development Block Grant (CBDG) Program, Emergency Shelter Grants, (ESG) Program, and/or Home Investment Partnerships Program, (HOME). Local non-profit organizations are also invited to attend and participate in this meeting.

What projects can you think of to move Pottstown forward?

That-A-Boy, Roy!

2011-01-29T07:56:00.011-05:00

Code Blue received an email that made us smile from ear-to-ear; something we just had to share with our readers:

"Good Morning,

Mayor Chris Doherty read the blog on The Pulse regarding Scranton and the Connell Building and how Pottstown was hoping to renovate the PA State Armory Building and thought that is was truly outstanding and wanted to invite Mr. Keeler to the City so he could show him around downtown and possibly tour of the Connell Building. Please let me know if that is something that can be arranged in the next couple of weeks.

Please feel free to contact the office at your convenience.

Thank you and I look forward to speaking with you."

Roy Keeler, aka Roy's Rants, you do us proud. It doesn't take an invitation from Mayor Chris Doherty of Scranton to impress your Code Blue friends, Roy - none the less, we're impressed!

Roy...ENJOY! We'll be expecting a very thorough report upon your return from Scranton - 'cause that is what you do best!

Power to the Pottstown People!
Power to the Pennsylvania People!

PS - Be sure to check out what Roy has to say about his upcoming trip to Scranton at Roy's Rants!

Pennsylvania State Armory Building Focus Of Exciting Adaptive Reuse Project In Downtown Pottstown

2011-01-27T07:18:00.000-05:00

Submitted by Roy Keeler

A piece of Pottstown history will hopefully be repurposed into luxury apartments in downtown Pottstown. The armory was built in 1909 and was a source of pride for local residents. The armory is located on King Street, between Charlotte and Penn Streets.

The project was presented to HARB and will come before the Pottstown Planning Commission Thursday evening. Code Blue supports this project for a variety of reasons.

Adaptive reuse of buildings in downtown areas has been very successful in other Pennsylvania cities such as Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Lancaster, Harrisburg and York. Turning vacant, abandoned, blighted or generally run down properties into something shiny and new inspires the neighborhood residents, especially in proximity, to fix up their own properties. This ripple effect produces neighborhood stabilization which is a tremendous added benefit. Revitalization, like eating an elephant, is done one bite at a time.

Projects like the Armory tend to inspire “spin-off” projects from other investors. The success of the Armory project will pave the way for additional projects and inspire overall investor confidence in Pottstown. There are several other projects, like the Armory, that will benefit Pottstown if successfully completed. The former Fecera’s building project and an industrial building conversion project located at Third and Penn Streets are examples.

Repopulation of the central core neighborhood with middle-class residents is essential to the survival of Pottstown and every other Pennsylvania city and town. Scranton Mayor Chris Doherty passionately believes this and has been a great advocate of these projects in his central business district. The Connell Building, in downtown Scranton, was rehabilitated into 89 luxury apartments. Every unit was leased before the first resident moved in. $23 million was invested in this project. Fifty percent of the Connell Building’s tenants moved into downtown Scranton from other communities. The prospect of living in a restored downtown landmark excites people.

Scranton is in the midst of a renaissance, largely due to projects like the Connell Building. This building was vacant and blighted. It was rotting away in downtown Scranton, making the area around it look less prosperous and undesirable. Blight is a disease. It breeds crime and spreads like a cancer if left untreated.

The injection of middle-class residents, with disposable income, into a “walkable” downtown is highly desirable. There is a growing group of Americans who desire an urban lifestyle, in a central downtown location, that would enable them to walk to stores, restaurants, community events and even work, if possible. All the cities listed above are capitalizing on this phenomenon. Turning these types of building into lofts, apartments and condominiums is in big demand.

While Pottstown is smaller, it is still an urban environment which has many of the same challenges and opportunities facing the cities I mentioned. We should study these cities and learn what they are doing right. We should adapt successful ideas and programs to a scale appropriate for Pottstown. Pottstown does not have a building in its downtown the size of the Connell Building, but the Amory project will accomplish the same goal, on a scale appropriate for Pottstown.

Development in the central core neighborhood will cut down on crime, eliminate blight, and attract residents who will benefit Pottstown, rather than contribute to an already strained educational and social services system. Economic balance must be achieved in Pottstown. Without a more balanced demographic, Pottstown will continue to struggle with its ability to raise sufficient tax income to effectively run our municipal government and school district.

There are numerous buildings around Pottstown which could be repurposed for many different uses. If we want to develop a niche market downtown, grow an arts community and improve Pottstown’s quality of life, we need a middle class. These types of projects have been proven to attract them.

The addition of residents, with disposable income, into the central core neighborhood will spawn the need for more stores, restaurants, services such as dry cleaners, banks, grocery stores and fill up our “walkable” downtown. All of the existing businesses on High, Hanover, King and Charlotte Streets will benefit from increased foot traffic by downtown residents who have money to spend!

Additional businesses downtown will make Pottstown a “destination” and attract consumers from other neighborhoods and towns. The end result will be more money flowing into Pottstown’s core neighborhood and downtown. A larger customer base will better support existing businesses and help create new ones.

I leave you with a quote from Scranton Mayor, Chris Doherty “the success of the city will come from life downtown.” I whole-heartedly agree!

School Days...

2011-01-19T22:05:00.004-05:00

Jason Bobst, Pottstown’s Borough Manager, has submitted an idea to Borough Council aimed at opening communication and dialogue among Borough residents and Borough Administration, Council and employees. One point of his idea focuses on what Bobst is calling a “Citizens Education Program”, which would include an eight to ten week program outlining borough operations, how tax dollars are spent and which would give residents the chance to get to know the workings of Borough Hall first hand.

We spend a lot of time questioning local government, and Jason, in particular. Here’s your chance, Pottstown, to learn a little something about how your town’s being run, how decisions are made that affect your neighborhood, block, and homes.

I’m hoping that the 10-15 openings for attendees will have a waiting list.

Other aspects of Jason’s idea are a training program in codes enforcement for residents and a meeting schedule set up to cover real estate and property issues where all sides of those issues would be represented and there’d be time to discuss problems and resolutions.

It’s pretty easy to post comments and/or blog with complaints, judgments and criticisms. Instead, let’s decide to be part of the solution, fellow Pottstonians..bring your ideas, experience and willingness to work to the table and make Pottstown what YOU want it to be.

I’m cautiously optimistic that the residents who comment on local blogs, call in to Sound Off, and write to the Mercury’s op/ed department about the blight, crime, backroom deals, conspiracies (real or imagined) and downward spiral of Pottstown will be chomping at the bit to get on board the dinghy and keep the sinking ship that Pottstown’s supposed to be from going under completely. Because in my view, if you’re just going to complain, bitch and whine, tell your story while you’re walking out of Pottstown. We need action, we need fresh ideas with a plan to implement them, and we need elbow grease. We don’t need haters (thanks Mayor Heath!), division or mudslingers. It’s time to rise above, people, and unless we do it, we can't complain when the people we hire and elect aren't, either.

I'll save you a seat in class!

Submitted by Mary-Beth Lydon...

Was The Pennsylvania Borough Code Ignored?

2011-01-15T09:57:00.010-05:00

The Pennsylvania Borough Code is very clear. Any contract that the Borough enters into for more than $10,000 needs to go through a bidding process that includes public advertising. Any contract for more than $4,000 but less than $10,000 requires written or telephone bids from at least 3 responsible and qualified bidders. But why the bidding lesson?

Information was received by Code Blue that the Borough failed to follow Pennsylvania Borough Code when they awarded the work to Drumheller Construction Co. for the repair and replacement of sidewalks and curbing at the NW and SW corners of the intersection of Moser Rd. and Cherry St.

In order to verify this information, Code Blue submitted the following RTK request with the Borough on January 7th requesting the following information:

1)Written cost estimates for the repair work at these corners.

2)Written bid requirements.

3)Copies of all bids.

4)Written contract for winning contractor.

We received a response on January 14th requesting more time to reply to our request. Why?

If the PBC was not followed, Borough should acknowledge the error and make necessary corrections to their process. The future will be bright if we can trust the process and those who follow it, without exception. If the PBC was followed, illustrate how so that there are no misunderstandings for the citizens of Pottstown. We hope that will be sooner rather than later.

Finally, back to our good friend, total transparency in government. In a completely transparent government, the PBC would be followed and the contract and bid information would be posted on the Borough website. Folks would not have to submit RTK requests. Even if the information was not posted on the website, there should be no valid reason to delay release of the information for up to 30 business days.

Borough Council Proves The Need To Overhaul The Appointment Process

2011-01-11T14:37:00.007-05:00

Borough Council appears to have proven my point last night about politics and personality conflicts playing a huge role in the process to appoint willing individuals to vacancies on Borough Boards and Commissions.

Don Read requested re-appointment to the Borough Authority, a position he has held for 5 years. I don't know Mr. Read personally, so I cannot judge him. I do understand that he has been very outspoken and at times publicly critical of Council and has also been publicly critical of certain individuals. But this post is not about Don Read.

This post is about the fact that Borough Council rejected an incumbent whom they didn't like. Forget that this person was an incumbent, or that he may or may not have done a good job on the Borough Authority. That didn't matter. What mattered was that the incumbent was not liked by the majority of the Council. What would have happened if the other applicants did not appear to have the necessary qualifications? What if the other candidates were tax deadbeats or had some other perceived flaw? Would Council have selected them anyway?

The time is now to begin a review of the process and revamp the appointment system as needed. This may be the main reason that people shy away from serving. There must be a better way of doing this so that people who are willing to serve our community on a volunteer basis are appointed or not appointed based on their qualifications and not whether they are friends or disliked by the people who make the decision. Let's take politics and personality conflicts out of the equation.

Comments From Evan Brandt On Committees And Boards Post

2011-01-09T10:29:00.003-05:00

Evan Brandt, Mercury Reporter, submitted comments to our previous blog concerning the process of choosing appointees to openings on Pottstown Boroughs various Board's, Committee's, and Authorities. The comments are too long to fit in the traditional commenting space, so we have decided to print them as a separate post.

Jeff,

You wrote: "There have been a few times over the years where politics have affected appointee decisions".

A few times?!? That's all it ever is.

That system is called democracy.

There has been a demonization of the word "politics" in this generation.

Politics is simply the mechanics of enacting the results of an election and, more importantly for those in office, trying to repeat it.

What has happened too often throughout the country is that the goal of getting re-elected has superseded the goal of improving the country, state, county, town, school board, etc....

Rather than achieving the goals you set out being an argument for re-election, the goals for the public have become subservient to the goals of the official -- re-election itself becomes the goal.

But the spoils system is as old as Athens and equally hard to resist. The winner picks his friends to support an agenda on which they agree and with which, presumably, the majority of the electorate agree.

It takes a person of consummate character (Lincoln and his "band of rivals" comes to mind) to appoint people who disagree with you to positions of power and influence as a way to air differing points of view.

Even this is not an answer to everything. It works for some people. Others, not so much. It certainly does promote vigorous debate, but it can also sow dissension when those rivals refuse to accept, and work against, a final decision with which they disagree.

This method requires that same level of consummate character being present in those you appoint as well.

Others prefer appointing those who agree, with whom they are comfortable, so an agenda they believe is correct can be vigorously enacted. George W. Bush comes to mind for this model. No right or wrong way, just the manner that fits the leader.

Is the current system in Pottstown subject to manipulation? Of course. Just like everything else.

I agree with Joe, Jeff: your goal is good -- to get the "best" qualified people -- but your system, like any system, like the current system, can always be manipulated to arrive at a pre-determined end, particularly, as Joe notes, because "best" is a subjective judgment.

When you are appointing who you consider to be the "best," you can rationalize anything.

Although I did not believe this when I was younger, I am slowly coming around to the conclusion that the only real bulwark against this kind of self-serving trend -- a trend we at The Mercury call "policy by personality," a phrase Ron Downie coined years ago -- is to elect honest, forthright people of character; people who are open to ideas, appointments, initiatives that might work no matter WHO suggests them.

I have become a partisan for "what works," no matter who proposes it or what their party. Show me it can work and I'm willing to try it.

And sadly, that system I have just described, is particularly susceptible to manipulation as it relies on voters making good judgments about candidates who, often, are motivated to manipulate voters into believing that is exactly who they are, even when they aren't (although they may believe themselves to be). Again, a subjective judgment.

Although it is our job in the media to help ensure that judgment is an informed one, I think we often fall short, both locally and nationally.

Certainly the current system in Pottstown may not be perfect, but it is certainly more open and professional than the one just recently on display in East Vincent.

Here's the link for those who missed the story (sorry it's long):

http://www.pottsmerc.com/articles/2011/01/06/news/srv0000010506161.txt

What was remarkable about East Vincent was that as embarrassing a display as it may have been, it was simply a more raw, public version of what has always gone on.

John Funk was simply honest enough to say it out loud instead of pretending it was something it wasn't -- the raw politics of the elected majority choosing who they want to put in positions of influence. No more, no less.

Don't like it? Don't forget to vote. That's the ultimate answer, although people can certainly work to bring pressure to bear in the meantime in pursuit of the goals that are important to them.

What is lacking in all of this, and which brings us back to the character of the people we elect, is the ability to lead, an atrophied skill in our times, I fear.

True leaders convince others to follow the path they have laid out, rather than complain and lament when people disagree with them after it has been forced upon them. Certainly, there comes a time when you have to stop talking and act, but lately there seems little effort to convince the silent majority of the need for a particular action.

Convince them! Win the debate! And then, even more difficult, convince them to work WITH you to achieve that goal.

Part of the magic of this is to start with a goal most people already agree with -- like "revitalize High Street" -- and then listen to all the options for achieving that goal. Pick a method that seems best, and then convince everyone to join in that effort.

One way to convince them is to be forthright in your previous dealings, so you will be more trustworthy.

That starts with the first day in office and one way to signal that change is to appoint people to positions who seem the best qualified, to be open in who you consider, and to ensure that everyone sees the process as transparent and your reasons are clearly stated.

Convince people of your character in something as simple as this, and you can start to build a foundation on which they may be willing to follow you on other significant things.

That, in my humble opinion, is the difference between the exercise of leadership, and the exercise of power, the latter being the thing that has turned the word "politics" into an epithet in our culture.

Power imposes change where it can from above, leadership elicits change from everyone, a groundswell of support from below.

The latter is ultimately more difficult and more frustrating, particularly in a atmosphere in which every action is suspect and ulterior motives are seen in every attempt to move forward.

Where does that leave us? With Winston Churchill's lament: "Democracy is the absolute worst form of government -- except for all the others."

-- Evan Brandt

P.S. Hey, how did I wind up on this soap box?

Pottstown Should Consider Revising Board And Commission Vacancy Appointment Process

2011-01-07T10:03:00.008-05:00

There are many Boards and Commissions in the Borough of Pottstown that are filled with Pottstown residents or Business owners, who serve on a voluntary basis. Some of these Boards or Commissions include Planning, Cable, Zoning Hearing, Vacancy, and HARB, just to name a few.

Volunteers serve a specified term, as short as 1 year and some as long as 5 years, depending on the Board or Commission. When the incumbents term gets close to expiring, the Borough advertises the opening.

Interested parties submit their interest and qualifications to the Borough Manager. This information is then provided to Council, who then chooses a candidate to serve on that particular Board or Commission. On the surface, this process appears to work smoothly.

However, this process can be tainted by politics. Here is an example: A volunteer sits on a particular Board for a few years. Over the course of time, maybe a few of the Council members have left, and there are a few new ones. Perhaps the new ones don't like that particular person. Maybe that person is not a member of the new Council members political party. Maybe the person serving has criticized Council openly during their term. Chances are that when that Board seat comes up for review, they will not be re-appointed, regardless of whether they did a good job or not. This is just one of a few situations that may occur.

Perhaps it is time for Borough Council to remove politics from the process. A new system should be considered, perhaps a point system. A point system would work like this: If there is an open seat on a Board or Commission, and the incumbent has done a good job, and they want to continue, they could receive a base of a few points over any other applicants. Any new applicants are reviewed and graded based on criteria such as qualifications, previous experience, etc. Each candidate should also be vetted. In other words, applicants points totals should be considered and impacted if there are issues like unpaid taxes, current code violations, etc.

If such a system was instituted, it would remove politics from the equation. The best candidate would be appointed, even if the incumbent wanted to retain their seat but was not re-appointed due to not being the best candidate. Sometimes, seats are hard to fill and there may be only 1 applicant. But if that 1 applicant was a person who owes the Borough thousands in back taxes should they be appointed? Perhaps not, perhaps the seat should be re-advertised.

Hopefully this blog will be at least spur the start of a thought process in our elected officials minds. There have been a few times over the years where politics have affected appointee decisions. Perhaps it's time for Borough Council to at least assign this issue to a committee and take a serious look at the current policy.

Pottstown Borough Council Committee of the Whole Meeting 1/5/11

2011-01-06T09:10:00.003-05:00

Last night was the January Committee of the Whole meeting for Borough Council. This is their monthly work session meeting, where public comment is not allowed. Most agenda items discussed at the COTW meeting are then voted on during the general business meeting the following Monday. The full agenda for this meeting can be found here. The following is an abridged synopsis of items discussed last evening:

- The meeting started off with introducing the 4 police officers who will be assigned to walking the beat in the Core Neighborhood area. They're starting immediately. Code Blue fully supports the efforts to bring foot patrols back to this area.

- As part of the Infrastructure Subcommittee report, Councilor Rhoads mentioned that all the new forms required for the new Rental Ordinance changes have been updated and approved. He also mentioned that all the necessary upgrades for the Permit-n-Force software program will be completed by March. This upgrade will allow the process to be fully computerized for tracking and integrated with Codes.

- The Owner-occupied Rehab Program is finally ready to go and will be rolling out later this month. This program uses HOI funds to provide grants to existing long-term homeowners to make necessary repairs to their homes to bring them up to code.

- Jim Arms updated Council on the status of the Carousel project. They have started the permit process for a $200,000+ repair of the roof and interior cleaning. Once the work is complete, the carousel will actually start to be erected inside the building. They are looking for volunteers to help with this. Fundraising has been an issue with the bad economy, but nonetheless, they are still moving forward. The last Carousel of Flavor event was the best yet. He acknowledged that it's been 10+ years and they hoped to be up and running by now. He expects it to be open sometime in 2012.

- Multiple committee appointments are up this month, including Borough Authority, Blighted Property Review, PDIDA, Vacancy Board and Zoning Hearing Board. Positions will be voted on Monday night. There is interest from people for all openings.

- Bill Sharon and Michelle Borzick will again be hosting a booth for Pottstown at the Greater Philadelphia Historic Home Show in Valley Forge from Feb. 4-6. The couple that just completed the renovation of a historic home at 116 King St. are helping with this. Pottstown is the only town that sets up a booth at this show. This is a great way to gain PR and sell the town and has netted positive results in the past. Many thanks to Michelle and Bill for their hard work on this.

- Parks & Rec is applying for a PECO Open Space grant for a handful of improvements to Memorial Park. Because the application deadline is quickly approaching, Council voted to approve this at this meeting. Public comment was opened for the purpose of this item only. None was given.

- Parking will be restricted between 4pm and 9am along Hanover St. from the railroad tracks to High St. That lane will be used for a right-hand turning lane onto High St. to help ease congestion with the closure of the Keim St. bridge and upcoming construction projects.

- Borough Manager Jason Bobst covered 3 Citizen Education Programs he has been investigating and is asking Council for a vote to proceed with all of them. The first is the Citizen Code Enforcement Academy. This will train volunteer citizens to do property surveys for simple code violations. It will be at least 8 hours of classroom training, then some training on the street with a Codes person. Once you're trained, teams of 2 will work together in neighborhoods. (You will not be allowed to do your own ward.) The purpose of this program is to get citizens involved in taking back the neighborhoods and helping to supplement Codes. This initiative has been successful in other municipalities; this one being modeled after a similar program in Reading. The second program will be called Pottstown University. This will be an 8-10 week program where participants learn the intricacies of how Borough government runs. There will be an educational component and a hands-on component. The purpose of this program is to get citizens involved in understanding how the Borough operates and functions. This is another initiative that has been successful in other municipalities; this one being modeled similar to one from Ocean City, MD. The final program discussed is geared toward developers in town.

- Council is being asked to approve the demolition of 527 N. Hanover St, the old Frederick Brothers Lumber Mill. This building is an eyesore and is ready to collapse. The problem is, it has an underground spring and old stone arches that run underneath the building and through the property. Some of the arches are already 50% collapsed. Knocking down the building will expose most of it and the DEP will need to be involved. The arch and all the potential problems are the property owners responsibility. The Borough wants to make sure it doesn't become their (our) problem and will vote to add some permit restrictions.

- During general discussion time, Councilor Weand noted that "he learned from a blog today that the PIRHL project was denied funding." He asked that the public tell Council what ideas or projects they would like to see for that area. (As the original post suggested, a visioning summit or downtown focus study would be a great start.)

- Councilor Kirkland advised that he has an email list and discussion group for the 7th Ward. He posts updates bi-monthly to people who sign up. It was a trial thing, but it has been so well received, he is now opening it up to everyone in the 7th Ward. If you email Councilor Kirkland your name, email address and street address, he will verify that you are from the 7th Ward and sign you up for this.

- Councilor Chomnuk thanked all the volunteers that made the Christmas celebration a huge success. He also commented on the great time had by everyone who came out for the Polar Plunge events on New Year's Day.

PHFA Declines To Fund PIRHL Low Income Senior Housing Riverfront Project

2011-01-04T19:46:00.005-05:00

We have not seen anything official, but we understand that PHFA has notified PIRHL that they will not be providing funding for the proposed low income senior housing along the riverfront this year.

While we are relieved that this mistake has been stopped in its tracks for at least a year, the basic issue still exists. The ULI report, in which the Borough is a stakeholder, suggested that the riverfront area should be "a place of magic". By no stretch of the imagination does low income senior housing fit the description of "a place of magic".

Council decided to sell off a chunk of the riverfront in exchange for an estimated $80,000 in yearly taxes. Just as a side note, does anyone think that the Borough would have used the additional tax money to lower taxes? Probably not.

Council now has been given a second chance to do something progressive with this piece of ground. Why not let the new PAID organization conduct a downtown focus study or a visioning summit with the community? Let's discuss together as a community what is best for the town as a whole. This doesn't have to be a lengthy process, in fact it could be accomplished rather quickly. When the people have been heard, decide on a plan of action and make it happen. Be proactive, not reactive. PAID can then go to work and find developers or projects that fit the vision the community has decided it would like for that specific area.

Code Blue will continue to oppose the construction of any more low income rental housing in this town. We simply have too much and it is a burden on everyone in this town. However, if PIRHL decides to try again next year for their project, there are plenty of other locations in this town (not along the river) that would be a much better fit. By the way, Norristown Borough Council was approached by a developer who wanted to construct the same kind of housing using the same funding model as PIRHL. Norristown Borough Council balked; they saw that there is no benefit to their town. Pottstown's Borough Council needs to realize the same thing. Council, you have a second chance. Make the most of it!!

Lets Lift A Glass And Offer Some Well Deserved Toasts!!

2010-12-31T11:15:00.004-05:00

With today being the end of the year, it seems appropriate to raise a glass and offer a few toasts for 2010.

A toast to all the folks who got off their couches, put down their remotes, and got involved in some way with their communities in 2010, and to those who have volunteered far longer than just this year, a double toast.

A toast to School President Rick Huss, who courageously stood up and righted the School Board through strong leadership and ended the disastrous divided direction that it was headed.

A toast to the Boroughs Blighted Property Committee. This Committee is one of the better weapons in Pottstown's arsenal fighting blight.

A toast to Borough Manager Jason Bobst, who led the Borough through the process for the legal collection of outstanding water/sewer/trees. Irresponsible landlords, beware!!

A toast to Councilman Rhoads and the Boro Council for revising the Shade Tree Ordinance that effectively ended the Shade Tree Commission, which had become a private fiefdom for some.

A toast to responsible landlords, who pay their taxes and fees, maintain their properties and contribute to the good of the community.

A toast to Pottstown Mercury reporter Evan Brandt, who always writes the facts, even if those facts make folks uncomfortable.

A toast to Dave Garner, Chris Huff, David Jackson, and Sue Repko for the countless hours they have volunteered to create a Community Land Trust.

A toast to the PSD Finance Committee, chaired by Dennis Wausnock, for pushing through a policy change that forces delinquent property owners to sheriff sale if they don't pony up. This has substantially reduced the unpaid taxes owed to the PSD, who needs every penny they can get.

A toast to Save Pottstown, who has started a new era of community activism, Positively Pottstown (Sue Repko), who helps us keep a balance by reminding us of all the positive aspects of this area, Roy's Rants(Roy Keeler), who helps us keep a perspective in comparison to other communities in Pennsylvania, and to Mo Gallant, who had a very fine blog for the majority of the year. All these folks elevated the discussion about our town to new levels.

I could go on all day, so many folks have achieved so many positive things this year, but I will end with this toast:

A toast to the more than 17,500 hits on our blog, in only 8 months, and to the 315 folks who commented. We print all comments, even those that disagree with us, unless they are vulgar.

Code Blue is not going anywhere, we are just getting started!!

Pottstown Spend's Twice Per Resident What Norristown Spend's

2010-12-20T16:32:00.006-05:00

The Boro of Norristown, a town very similar to Pottstown, has about 31,000 residents. Norristown is working on their 2011 budget. It will come in right around $25.7 million. A very simplistic math calculation shows that Norristown spends about $887 per resident.

Lets compare that to Pottstown. At last count, Pottstown has about 22,000 residents and a recently approved budget of $39.2 million. The same simplistic math calculation arrives with a figure of $1781 per resident. What? You have got to be kidding. Thats almost exactly double what Norristown spends. (Exactly double would be $1774 per resident). So Pottstown spends more than double.

Why do we spend twice as much money per resident than Norristown, a very similar town? What is built into our budget that Norristown does not have in theirs? Is the level of service in Pottstown twice as good as Norristown? Of course not.

This just proves what I have been saying for months. We have a spending problem. We need all of our elected officials to attack this issue aggressively. Study Norristown's budget. How about meeting with Norristown Borough Manager Dave Forrest? Thats former Pottstown Assistant Borough Manager Dave Forrest? Dave is willing to help when he can, I have spoken to Dave in the past about other issues. He is very approachable.

It's time to think out of the box and get out of the past. We don't need 4 separate fire companies. They cost us $180,000 a year each plus other costs. Lets not talk on and on about consolidation, lets do it. And the argument that it will cost us more to let the County handle our radio calls doesn't fly. Almost every other municipality in the County outsourced their dispatch to the County. All those other municipalities can't be wrong. No one signs on to cost more, they sign on to save money. Perhaps we need to let go of those fancy police radios with the encrypted transmissions and let the County dispatch. You have to prove that it wouldn't be cost effective, not just say it.

These are just a few suggestions. The main point is that we cannot sustain this level of spending anymore. The time has come to stop the spending spree. People in this country are rising up in massive numbers to demand that our governments stop the unnecessary spending and lower taxes. Government works for the people, the people should not work simply to pay for Government. Pottstown officials, beware, the rising tide of protest against the spending addiction is at the door of Borough Hall, which is the People's House. It would not be smart to ignore the tide.